Mangekyou
by AngelOfOurDarkness
Summary: Sakura is forced into an arranged marriage with a man she can't stand. And what's this? Shisui is settling down! ItaSaku non-massacre AU
1. Chapter 1

**Chapter I**

**He knew**

**Eighteen years prior, Konoha hospital**

Uchiha Itachi sat in the hospital with his parents, waiting for something which he did not know what it was. It disturbed him, but the reason would reveal itself soon, he knew, therefore he did not ask his mother.

Suddenly screams began to echo through the corridor they where sitting in. The screams were hollow, but still filled with so much pain it almost made the six year old boy want to run away (but he's an Uchiha, Uchiha's don't run). He looked up at his mother and saw the paleness of her face. She was trembling. And that did not make her son feel comfortable at all. He thought of the result if he would reach out to her. It would probably end with her smiling at him and pat him on the head before kissing him on the cheek or on his forehead. If he did not reach out to her however, she would continue being pale and have that almost scared facial expression.

Then he looked to his father who sat on his left. He was also pale, but not as much as his wife. His face also held the same stern facade as always. Itachi knew that if he tried to make his father calmer, the old man would just look at him and then look away. He hated that cold mind of his father. But he was certain that the clan was trying to make his mind like that to. After all, he is the clan heir.

Suddenly Itachi heard a yell from the opposite side of the corridor where the cries of the woman was heard. "LET ME SEE HER!! WHERE IS MIKARU?!" the man yelled. Recognition immediately came to the boy. That was his mother's friend's husband, Haruno Agito. He came running towards the door the woman's scream could be heard through. But before the blonde male could get past the Uchiha's, Itachi's father jumped up and stopped him.

"Mikaru was brought in quickly. She will be fine" Fugaku said sternly. His wife agreed silently.

"But her body might be to weak! What if I lose both her and the child?!" child? Child?!

Realization struck the boy who silently sat by and watched his parents trying to stop the hysterical man from going inside the medical ward. So there was a child to come, was it? Itachi did not know why everyone was so anxious about a kid. Because that's all it was right? A kid. Only heirs had to get attention, did they not? Could it be that this child being born was an heir? Maybe so… But he was not certain if the Haruno's where a clan, they where not many, and they did not have a bloodline, that's what he had concluded. But he had never seen them fight, so they might have one?

He looked up at the man, as if he would read his thoughts and tell him if they had a kekkei-genkai, but he barely seemed to have acknowledged the boy's existence. Then his mother said something that made him freeze.

"It's better to hear her scream and know she's alive than to not hear anything at all, isn't it?" she gently said, holding her hand over her big belly.

"Mikoto is right. She might be in pain, but she is still alive. Try to relax" Fugaku said.

If she was in such pain, why did they not try to do something about it? The genius Uchiha was confused. He might have been able to set traps to capture ANBU at the age of four, but these things… _feelings,_ that he could not see nor grasp was somewhat beyond his understanding. If those emotions could be described in words, or even by vision, then he might be able to know what it was before he had ever felt it himself, but he knew that was not possible. His mother had made that clear to him when he was three. Feelings are not something meant to be understood, they're just supposed to be _there_.

That was not something Itachi was just going to accept. Feelings had to be there for _some_ reason.

He hated to not know. Especially when it regarded something he was particularly interested in. Like this. He was going to understand feelings, not matter what.

His parents finally got the fair haired man sit down with his hands grasping his head. "I'm sorry… I'm just so worried about her… and the child" Agito sighed and tears began to flow down his face and down on the floor. His jaw was clenched and his eyes was staring emptily at the tile floor. His hands went through his rather wild locks and he stopped to untie his forehead protector. He held it in his hand and then let it drop to the bench.

"I know. But crying does not help Mikaru. In these kind of moments you have to be strong for her" Fugaku said rather friendly, he was talking to his best friend after all. He and his wife took a seat beside him. Mikoto stroke Agitos back in a soothing manner. She whispered kind words of encouragement.

She looked up with a bleak smile. "Itachi, come over here" she said and waved her hand slightly. Her kind eyes warmed when her son walked rather hastily. His still short legs made him take ten steps to get to his mother. For a grown up person it would take three steps.

When Itachi was by his mother he was lifted up by her to her lap. She began to stroke his hair and made him lean towards her big tummy. He did not like that tummy. It was an obstacle that kept him from being as close to his mother as he used to be. He would never admit it, not to himself or anyone else, he was mama's little boy.

Itachi had it clear to him that he was going to have a sibling soon, he was told about one half a year ago. He had wondered why his mother had been feeling nauseous for a while and asked her about it. She had said that he was soon going to have a little baby sister or baby brother.

He had mixed feelings about this. It might be fun to have a sibling, may it be a boy or girl. But, his mother would not have enough time for himself anymore. The clan elders would be lurking in the background, ready to leap out and dig their honor thirsty claws in that baby when he or she would come of age.

His eyes frowned and a terribly loud scream came from the operating room. Agito jumped up and looked to the door but then did not move anymore. Fugaku's facial control almost slipped for a second. Mikoto was as pale as snow by now. Itachi was beginning to figure why she looked so frightened. She was soon to be in the same room.

At the thought Itachi's big eyes widened and his small hands clenched on either side of his mother's pregnant belly. He didn't want his mom to feel any pain. So, he buried his face in her soft chest and worked hard to not let his tears slip past his closed eyelids. And Mikoto was rather surprised at this, but she knew he had figured out how things where going to be soon. Her arms wound him in the safe warmth of her being.

Suddenly the woman's screams stopped and where replaced by the cries of a baby. The light above the door saying 'emergency' was turned of and a nurse soon went out. Her front was bloodstained and she was sweating.

"Both your wife and child is perfectly fine, Haruno-sama. You can see them now if you like" the rather old nurse smiled and walked down the hall, probably to report to the head medic.

Agito whispered his wife's name in relief before he ran through the green doors of the emergency room. Then there was a woman's tired but delighted voice that sounded lowly. For some reason Itachi noticed his mother's change. Her cheeks got a rosy color to them and a real smile adored her lips for the first time since that ninja came to their house at lunch time. He also saw her eyes water and silent tears ran down her face.

"Okaa-chan, why are you crying?" Itachi pouted with a frown. Was she not happy her friend had stopped screaming and was feeling well? Was she sad over it because she cried?

Mikoto immediately looked at him with a little shock. Then she smiled once more. "I'm crying tears of happiness, darling" she said and put him down. "Come on, don't you want to see the baby?" she extended her hand so he could take it. He silently did. He and his mother walked inside the ward before his father.

The first thing Itachi saw was Agito standing over (kissing) his wife who laid on a medical bed. There was no sign of blood, since the staff had cleaned it up. Then he saw a small bundle of blankets at Mikaru's exposed chest. The boy silently wondered why she laid with it at her chest, that should be concealed by clothing instead.

"Mikaru! Oh God! How are you feeling?" Mikoto cried and subconsciously walked faster. Lucky her son, since he already was used to her shifts in speed depending on her mood. When they stood on the opposite side of Agito she let go of her son's hand and gently hugged her friend, carefully as to not touch the bundle.

"I'm as good as you can be after pushing a baby out of you" she smiled and hugged the thing on her chest a little bit tighter. "How are you then? Your belly seems pretty big too" Mikaru joked with a smile.

"I'm fine, it's just the seventh month after all," Mikoto gazed down on the bundle of blankets, "may I?" she asked carefully after a few seconds.

Mikaru smiled with a knowing look, she had obviously seen this coming. She did not say anything but carefully held up the bundle to her friend. Mikoto accepted it with a slight breath of excitement. The green heap of fabric was gently exchanged between the women and she held it like she was completely used to it. And she was.

Itachi watched his mother smiling at the thing in her arms, silently crying. He frowned and looked critically at it. What could be so special about that thing to make his mother cry? Was it so ugly she could not bare to watch it, but forced herself as to not hurt her friends feelings? Was it so beautiful it could make his mother smile because of it? His eyes narrowed as he found himself once again unable to grasp the feelings of one of the persons closest to him.

After a few minutes of just holding the baby in her arms, Mikoto caught her son glaring at the girl in her arms. Knowing perfectly well why he had such an expression she looked to Mikaru. The tired woman nodded slowly. The Uchiha lady smiled and kneeled down so she was as tall as her son. "Itachi, would you like to hold her?"

Her? Hold? Suddenly Itachi's face changed from displeased to hesitant. Would that be alright? What if he dropped her? What if she begins to scream or cry?

Mikoto noticed his inner quarrel and decided to solve it for him. She motioned for him to raise his arms, and since he did not want to go against her, he obeyed. She smiled reassuringly before extending her arms and carefully laying the bundle in his arms instead. "Hug her gently to you" she said and supported her son a little bit. She arranged his arms and hands so he could hold her properly.

But Itachi did not even notice the changing positions of his arms because he was far to caught up with the creature in front of him. His already big eyes became slightly wider as he stared more and more at the baby girl. Her fists where in tight knots by her chin and her eyes were closed. She was quite chubby, but that should be good. On top of her head, just by the edge of the blanket, small pink hairs peaked out. There was no flaw about her. Absolutely nothing.

He felt his little heart being rushed over with emotions of different sorts. As he stared down on her he felt himself get warm on the inside and he became light-headed. The fluffy feeling made him only want to look at her, only listen to her silent breathing, only feel her weight in his arms.

Then, as if she was aware of him staring at her, her eyes snapped open. Itachi almost lost his chin in the matter of a second. As he stared at the confused shining, stunning emerald eyes his mind went blank. He could not think of anything but her. Everything around them went away, like they where surrounded by a void, white space. Now he knew what his mother had meant when she said feelings are not meant to be understood or seen, they actually were just meant to be _there_.

"You don't want to hold her anymore?" Mikoto's sweet voice asked her absentminded son. She drew her head back and she got a complete shock when he _glared_ at her. Her chin dropped and her hands dropped from under the baby. For a long time all she could do was to stare at her son, he who never had showed any rudeness towards her (slapping away the milk when he was a baby does not count). He might have been grumpy when she forced him to be still for to long, or when she carried him, but never ever had down right thrown a _glare_ her way. "Itachi, is something wrong?" she managed at last.

Without a word, he swung around and went behind a curtain and sat down, out of sight from the adults who stared dumbly after him. Then he lifted her up close to his face. He tried to see what was going on in her head through her vibrant green eyes. But she just gave him a confused look before reaching her hand out and grasping his bangs. She gently tugged at it and laughed. Now he was even more confused by her. First she brings out totally new emotions from inside him, and then she laugh because she can pull his hair? Babies were strange. Or maybe girls in general were strange…

After a few more tugs at his raven black hair, she took her hand to his face and got a look of wonder. To him, her touches were as if he was touched by an angel. Her hands were so soft, and her touch was unlike anything he had experienced before. Sure his mother had done this, but it was just _different_ to have this girl touching him like this.

Then, when she smiled, he was lost.

Now, he knew.

He would never be able to get away from her enchanting warmth. A warmth she did not even know she had.

He knew, his reason to live would be to protect her.

_He knew._

---

**Twelve years later, Konoha**

"Sakura-chan! You can do it! Beat that stupid Sand bastard into oblivion!" the number one knuckle head ninja yelled at his female team mate who was fighting a ninja from the fellow village Suna.

The irritation the cry was causing was immediately noticed to any ninja smart enough to pay attention. The pink haired girl seemed to twitch a couple of times. But she did not respond. She only got down in fighting position with her fists tightly shut. Her eyes where hard and her face wore a frown. She slowly slid her gaze over to the judge of the match, urging him to call the start. At the intensity of her glare, he coughed and raised his hand.

"Let match seven begin!" Genma jumped out of the way of the two fighters as they clashed together.

Sakura slid across a small distance as she landed. Her green eyes scanned the area for a movement or chakra signal. Her senses were on high alert when she felt a energy flicker beneath her. Realizing what would happen, she leapt backwards, still close to the ground, and connected her feet to the cement wall. She knew the Sand ninja wanted to make her jump into the air, where she was practically defenseless, and attack her with a wind jutsu. What surprised her was that the ninja was able to use an earth technique.

The Sand ninja appeared from the ground by jumping up, creating a hole. His smug brown eyes glared at her small form on the giant wall. "Smart one there…" the ninja said and ran towards her.

"Why thank you" Sakura joked and ran to the left, still on the wall. Her hands came together and made the bunshin jutsu. Her two replicas ran along with her, confusing the enemy. Even though he could not see which one was the original, he went to aim at all three of them. But as he was about to throw a hurl of kunais, a body appeared behind him.

'What the—' he turned his head around and stared in shock at the girl behind him, but was even more surprised when he got a punch to the front of his ribcage instead of the back. He was sent backwards, landing on his shoulder blades and skidding a good distance of half the dome. A silent 'Oh' came from the audience.

"How's that?" Sakura put out her tongue in an innocent manner, completely unaware of pleased eyes watching her.

The Sand ninja stood up and glared at her. "I was going easy on you, but I think that's not necessary" he said and charged forward. His feet reeked with chakra and he approached her in blinding speed. Before she could put up her hands in defense, he delivered a kick to her stomach. A smirk adored his face as she was smashed into the wall. But as she did so, her body turned into a wounded log. He gasped and looked around in a slight panic.

The Haruno appeared behind him, down by the ground, and delivered a kick to his shoulder blades, where he already was wounded. He was flying up about ten meters before his attacker jumped up above him and started to send kicks to his abdomen. The last kick was enhanced with chakra and made him smash down to the ground with brutal force.

Even though he could barely stand, he did. He smirked with blood running down his chin. "So you can't use any jutsu? Che, and here I thought I was up against someone fun" he was having that kind of superior's smirk she hated.

"I'll show you a jutsu alright…" before she could finish the sentence, the earth crumbled and the audience was thrown into panic. For some reason Sakura could not see, the lords and other VIP's had been evacuated. The other, normal people was at the time trying to run away from the grandstands, screaming in fear and panic.

Sakura's green eyes stared around the edge of the wall surrounding the arena. Not a bird was in the sky. That was until a far too big snake appeared behind the wall that was facing her back. It threw its self on the heavy stone and broke it. Her body and mind was in to much shock to move after she had turned around and seen the snake's stomach falling towards her. Her wide eyes shut tightly, and a scream escaped her lips.

But when she did not feel a crushing weight over her, and instead found herself held by someone, her eyes snapped open again and her vision crossed the face of her saviour and she saw a white weasel mask. But, the raven black hair of his revealed that he was probably from the Uchiha clan. She had never known any other to have pitch black hair than those of the most powerful clan in Konoha.

The unidentified ANBU gracefully landed and looked down at her. "Did you get hurt?" His voice was muffled by the mask, but the silky texture of the rather hushed whisper was absolutely NOT passing through her brain without turning it to a poodle of worthlessness.

Her breath caught in her throat as her face became very red. "N-no… I'm fine, thank you" she said and jumped out of his princess hold on her. She turned and smiled at him before jumping of towards the grandstand the Hokage had been sitting in together with the Kazekage.

She stopped in surprise though, when she saw the two kage's standing, with the leader of Suna holding a kunai to the throat of her own leader. They seemed to be talking to each other. Suddenly the Hokage jumped away from the other man, and in full attire. His black clothes actually made him look younger than he was. The other kage also took off his traditional clothes, but who was under all that fabric was not the Kazekage, it was the snake sannin Orochimaru.

"Why are you here, Orochimaru?!" the Hokage yelled angrily.

"That is not something you need to know, sensei" the disgusting man said.

Then, four ninja's with purple bows just like Orochimaru's, surrounded the three people standing within the area of the rectangle they created.

"Do it" the snake bastard said. The four ninjas nodded.

"Ninpou, Shishi Enjin" they said in unison. At first, pink lines appeared between them, making the form of a box. Then, the pink lines was outdone by the transparent violet of the technique's purpose, to trap. Sakura gasped as the wall appeared right behind her, cutting away some of her hair. She immediately tumbled forward in surprise, and stared at the purple chakra. Her head flew to the left where a ninja with three pair of arms created the same kind of wall around himself, probably to stop attacks.

Then the red head to her right yelled: "Oi, boss, what do we do with this little chick?!"

Sakura jumped in surprise and was struck with the thought that she was the only one able to help her Hokage in this situation. The ANBU was forced to silently sit and wait until the wall disappeared.

"Leave her be. She can't do anything anyway" Orochimaru smirked. Soon she would not be a problem.

Sarutobi frowned and clenched his teeth together. He was not going to let one of his minions die. "Orochimaru, your fight is with me, so don't try anything."

The ANBU outside the violet prison were tense with well hid anxiousness. They stared holes through the scared girl inside the box of chakra, waiting for her to help the Hokage. The white cloaked captain tried to keep his emotions in check as he stared at her. But very fast, his patience ran out. "Haruno! Help Hokage-sama!" the man yelled. Sakura did not react to his screams because she was staring into the eyes of the sannin, much like she had done in the forest of death. Her body trembled with fear and her muscles had locked. "Haruno!"

Finally Sakura realized someone was calling out to her and she looked in that direction.

"Help Hokage-sama!" the ANBU yelled once again, his voice full of frustration that was trying to be concealed. The girl looked rather hesitant first, but once she became to think that her help might be needed she was about to charge forward.

"No! Haruno Sakura, you are to stay there, keeping out of this fight!" the Hokage yelled at both the girl and the ANBU's.

"But Hokage-sama…!" the black ANBU to the right protested but was stopped by his superior.

"No objections! She will just be in the way!" the words echoed through Sakura's mind until they hit her centre of anger. She felt her chakra boost into its max, making the sannin startled. His head turned in her direction and a smirk came to his face.

"That's right… She's a Haruno… Very interesting" Orochimaru ignored his opponent and began walking to the girl who was glaring at him. His snake like body was very quick to approach her and the second he did his fingers enclosed around her chin and he tilted her head upwards. With a satisfied smirk he jumped back when she aimed to deliver a punch to his stomach.

"Don't touch me you freak!" she yelled at him.

"As you wish, for now" he said and licked himself around his mouth before jumping back to his old sensei. "I do not seem to be able to figure why you let her participate in the exams before you told her about that!" he laughed out his words.

"Be quiet, Orochimaru!" the Hokage yelled and glared angrily, "she is not involved with our fight!"

The smirk did not disappear from his face as he tried a sad look. "But sensei, she does. Our fight started long ago, and there is where she became involved! Nothing you do can take her out of this now!" an insanely evil laugh left his throat.

Sakura stood by in surprise at the snakes words. What the hell was he talking about? Should she be afraid? Why did he want her? And why the hell was she involved in their fight from the first beginning?! What were they fighting about anyway?

When coffins began to form out of the ground, the Konoha ninja froze…

-

Uchiha Itachi was fighting down on the arena. A large amount of Sand ninja had seen him and thought it would be a perfect opportunity to assassin one of the most powerful people in Konoha. To bad they did not know they went for the strongest of them all.

His powerful eyes easily read the sand ninja's movements. He took out his katana and chopped the head of one that thought he could attack the Uchiha from behind. Just being in the blind spot of the sharingan is not going to save you from the alert senses of Itachi. The sudden scream from the roof of the grandstand did not escape him either. It was a girls voice, one he recognized as Sakura's. Immediately he wanted to turn around and see what the matter was, but an upcoming attack kept him from doing so.

The two remaining sand ninja took distance, one of them summoning a giant fan in the process. She smirked and opened the fan, making it even bigger than her. "Dai Kamaitachi no Jutsu!" she yelled and swung the far to big weapon against her enemy. Was that some kind of joke?

Itachi formed seals in blinding speed and put his hand over his stomach as he inhaled deeply. "Fuuton: Renkuudan" his voice echoed as he blew out the chakra mixed air to meet the incoming attack. The clash caused the wind to go in all directions and confuse the two sand ninjas. As they covered their eyes to protect them from the harsh pressure Itachi swiftly slit their throat with two kunai.

Now when he no longer occupied with enemies he looked up towards the purple barrier. Its inside had been filled with trees, and the sound of a fierce battle was heard.

Itachi frowned and ran towards the source of the scream.

-

Sakura sat on the ground clutching over her heart. It was beating so fast she was sure it would burst through her ribcage. Before her stood the man with snake eyes, licking his lips with that disgustingly long tongue. "Tayuya, Kidoumaru, weaken the effect on this side of the wall" he said reaching out for the pink locks of the girl.

"Don't touch me!" she shrieked and slapped away his hand.

"Why would we do that?" the multiarmed man asked.

"Don't you enjoy seeing your enemies in pain, Kidoumaru?" Orochimaru smirked and jumped back into the thicket. At the comment the said man began laughing insanely.

"That's right! I love hearing my enemies screams of agony!" he yelled and the wall became a softer purple with a hissing sound. Sakura, the poor girl, flipped hear head around but soon regretted it when she failed to notice a branch wrapping around her thin ankle. She stared at it in shock before she gasped in surprise when it swung her up in the air.

She coughed when she choked on her own saliva. But that the branch didn't take in regard as it swung her high in the air and then into the wall. Lightning immediately surrounded her body and she widened her eyes before screaming. She didn't know what hurt the most, the impact or the electricity. She wanted to move her legs and arms to push herself away, but the signals didn't reach those specific limbs. When she thought when was going to die of vaporization she was dreadfully thrown down into the hard stone tiles covering the grandstand. Blood flew out her mouth as she coughed, trying to regain her breath.

"That's right! Suffer! Suffer and scream out your pain!" the sadistic man laughed. "Try not to die to soon, I want to enjoy this as long as possible!"

At the thought, Sakura wished for nothing but her death, then at least she could always bore him to death by not being alive and in pain. She did not even bother to gasp in surprise when she yet again was pulled up in the air. But she did cry out when her back once again was crashed against the chakra wall. This time, the branch around her ankle burnt up, and failed to hold her in place, causing her to fall down. She laid there, unmoving and extremely sore. Her legs refused to move and her arms were far to weak.

Her hazed eyes stared out the wall and saw the same mask she had seen a little while ago. It had been no meaning in him saving her if she was going to die here. "Sorry… Uchiha…"

-

Itachi felt his chakra flare out from his body and heating the area with an unpleasant and intense warmth. No one would hurt Sakura and live long to tell about it. Not even if he happened to be a legendary sannin. And that damn spider boy was going straight to hell when the ANBU would have the chance to finish him off. He strode forward towards the cube of chakra and kneeled in front of the redheaded woman, which happened to be closest to Sakura.

"You will let me enter" he said and glared at her with blazing sharingan.

The red head raised her head and glared back at him, "what the fuck? What makes you think you can…" she lost her words as she stared into the red ruby eyes of the Uchiha. Her chakra focus dropped for a second as she was trapped in a genjutsu, a horrific on at that. But she quickly recovered since she was a genjutsu user herself. But when she regained her vision both Itachi and Sakura was at a safe distance.

He held her fragile and bruised body tightly against his. His fingers gently brushed her bloody cheek, earning an eased sigh from her lips. The blood was still running from her wounds and mouth, she would be in trouble if she did not get any medical attention soon.

At the moment, Itachi was for the first time in his life thanking his clan for making him learn a little healing.

His hands glowed green and he placed one of them on her back while the other healed her arm. He closed his eyes to concentrate. Healing the burn was beyond his ability, but he could at least stop the bleeding. Her arm was badly sprained, but he could take care of that. Next was her ankle, and without touching it he could see it was seriously injured. His callused fingers gently pulled of her sandal and stroke over the blue skin. Even in her unconscious state she winced and immediately he knew the bone was broken.

As he healed the injury the barrier surrounding the battle ground of Orochimaru and the third dissolved. He quickly scanned the area for chakra's, and closed his eyes in grief when he no longer felt the one belonging to the old man. Instead, he felt the chakra of the five ninjas from sound, and they were all heading his way.

Orochimaru and his subordinates spurt out of the miniature forest and landed in front of Itachi and the fainted girl. He was helped by his underlings and his hands looked like they were rotting. Yet, a smirk adored his face. "This chakra and heavy stare… It's none other than Uchiha Itachi, the only man strong enough to kill me…" at the snakes words the other sound ninja gasped.

"Don't flatter yourself bastard, plenty of people can kill you" Itachi narrowed his eyes. "Only I have been the only one you confronted."

A low chuckle left the Sanin's mouth. "So it may be…" he smirked, "that girl… is she precious to you?"

Itachi frowned and glared at the disgusting man. He did not say anything, just keeping his mouth shut and tensing his muscles, ready to meet an attack.

Orochimaru laughed. "Do not worry at the moment, Itachi-kun, I am far to weak to take her now" he said and then nodded, and his subordinates jumped away from the dangerous Uchiha. The ANBU who had waited for the barrier to disappear immediately chased after them only to be caught in chakra filled spider net.

But that was not the concern at the moment. Was the bastard going to take her?

As Sakura's personal secret lifeguard Itachi immediately became worried. What was that snake planning now?

----

**Presence, Konoha Hospital**

"Good morning, Sakura-sama! Are you here to visit your mother?" a blonde girl asked as her senior passed her by the disk to the special long-time ward in the hospital.

"Yes I am. But I also came to check a few of my patients, could you give me my chart, Casella?" Sakura asked the girl.

"Of course, I have it right here" Casella said and handed the chart to the doctor.

"Thanks" Sakura mumbled and walked down the corridor while reading her patients status. One with the scarlet fever was feeling better while one with cancer felt worse. As she read it her body tensed. Cancer. The only disease she absolutely abhorred treating. The three she had had under her wing had died. And now she had yet another. Then there was…

"Sakura-chan!" A familiar male voice called from behind. The pink haired beauty turned around to stare at her father.

"Hi, too-chan" Sakura smiled. She stopped until he caught up to her.

"Are you going to visit your dear mother?" he asked her while stroking her hair.

"Yeah, and stop that too-chan, I'm not little anymore" she pouted.

"To me you'll always be a little girl" he smiled his wide grin that reminded her so much of a certain blonde knucklehead ninja.

With a huff she walked to the door to her mothers room. Her fingers trembled around the handle before she slid it open. Inside the white room a bed was placed, and in the bed a purple haired woman was sitting, looking out the window. "Good morning, kaa-chan" Sakura said with a smile, one she had a hard time keeping.

The woman turned her beautiful face to her family with a smile. "Good morning, Sakura-chan, honey" she said.

"How are you feeling?" Agito asked as he walked up to her bed and kissed her cheek.

"I'm feeling a bit groggy. I think it would help if you could open the window, it's such a lovely weather" Mikaru said and smiled once again when her only daughter opened the window for her. "Thank you, love."

"No problem. Did you need anything or can I start my round now?" Sakura asked, still with smile intact.

Mikaru laughed. "You need my permission to do your job?" she asked. When Sakura did not respond she just sighed and nodded, "I don't need anything, you can go darling."

Sakura nodded and hurried towards the door. As soon as her face was out of vision from her parents her smile disappeared and she got a grim look instead. She grabbed the door handle and opened it. "I'll come by later."

When Sakura had visited her patients she walked extremely slowly towards her mothers room. She hated being there. She hated not being able to throw herself at her mother and cry. She hated how she had to pretend everything was fine. She hated the way she had to be all grown up and professional. Was it really that bad to be sad and desperate when your mother had cancer?

She stood outside the door for a few minutes before she forced herself to walk in. She blinked when her mother and father hastily looked up with nervous faces, they had talked about something, she had heard their voices through the door, but she could not make out what. Her mother fiddled with the sheets and her father was rather stern looking, something he was not very often.

"What?" she asked a bit disturbed by their serious demeanor.

"Sit down, darling. We need to talk" Mikaru said softly.

Sakura wanted to retort that she could stand very well on her own, but she did not want to have a dispute with her parents at the moment. So she sat down on the chair across from the bed end.

"What is it?" she asked and tried to make out something from her parents face. Nothing.

"You see, now when your mother is sick, we are worried for you future" Sakura resisted the urge to snort, she could take care of her future just fine, thank you very much. "And we have been planning this ever since you were a baby, and Mikoto and Fugaku agrees to it too…"

What the hell were they talking about? What did her future have something to do with the Uchiha clan's leaders?

"And we have decided to go through with a marriage between you and their son" Agito said and watched his daughters reaction.

Sakura was at a loss of words. Her mouth was open and her eyes wide. "What-the-fuck…?" she asked without thinking really much of what she said.

"Please refrain from such language, darling" Mikaru said but winced when her child jumped up from her seated position with a furious face.

"YOU'VE ENGAGED ME WITH SASUKE?!" she yelled angrily. At the thought of being married to her hearts brother and team mate she felt disgusted. _That would mean… No! Do not think such disgusting thoughts! _she was ready to barf when pictures of her and Sasuke making out and doing other inappropriate activities popped up in her head. Yes, that was disgusting.

"Sakura! Keep your voice down! We are in a hospital!" her father said sternly.

Was he kidding her? It was _she_ who worked there. It was _she _who had to be in her deadly sick mothers hospital room!

"Sakura, calm down, it's not Sasuke!" Mikaru said hurriedly and got a worried frown when her daughter twitched and stared at them in a mix of betrayal, hurt and utter rage.

"How could you?" she asked, angry tears burning in the corner of her eyes. "Aren't I supposed to be your daughter?!" she cried.

"Sakura, we were thinking of you! We would never had done this if it hadn't been for your own best!" Mikaru said desperately.

"How the hell could you be thinking of me when you are forcing me into a marriage with a man I barely know?!" Sakura did not want to hear the reply as she ran out the room, water falling over her cheeks.

She had always set out for love. She wanted to marry a man she loved and would love her back. She had dreamed of a magical fairytale her parents had. They had fallen in love when they were twenty, and married one year later, and had her four years after the happy event. They had never fought about anything serious, and whenever they fought they always made up soon after.

Sakura did _not_ want to marry someone she barely knew. Haruno Sakura did _not_ want to become Mrs. _Uchiha_ Sakura. Haruno Sakura did _not_ want to become Mrs. Uchiha _Itachi_ Sakura. She wanted to stay a Haruno for the rest of her life at the moment.

She did not have any problem with Itachi, but the thought of that she was to marry him and become his unwilling bride had her picture of him as a nice gentleman and powerful ANBU captain become twisted into a merciless man who would only use her to his own gain. She knew that could not be, but she was to bloody angry to care. As she ran past the reception she threw the chart on the desk and ran straight to her office.

She slammed the door behind her and slid down to the ground, sobbing loudly. It had hit her; she was trapped. She knew there was no way she could get out of this arranged marriage unless she killed herself or Itachi. The later could be scratched at once. She pulled up her knees to her face and continued to cry.

She did not know how long it had been before she felt a presence outside her door. There was a knock. She immediately jumped to her feet in surprise. She dried away her tears and tried to hold her composure as she opened the door.

"What is--

She stopped talking when she saw who it was who had knocked. At first she only saw the white fabric of the ANBU vest, but then she had raised her gaze and stared at the face of her newly revealed fiancé she gawked and stammered before slamming the door shut right in his face. Immediately she regretted it and slapped her hand over her mouth as she blushed a deep crimson.

The door opened and Itachi stepped in, emotionless as ever. "Excuse me, Haruno-san, did I come at an inappropriate time?" he questioned and eyed her face which had the same color as his eyes.

"N-No! I-I'm sorry for my rude behavior! Is there any problem, Uchiha-sama?" she asked and turned to her desk, arranging some of the wildly spread papers which laid there.

"I was to ask you to heal me, if you are not occupied at the moment" he said and raised his arm, showing of a cut that had destroyed his glove down to his elbow and was oozing with blood. How he had managed to get here without fainting was beyond her understanding, since had been by the border of bird country on his latest mission.

"Of course, Uchiha-sama" Sakura said uncomfortably, she had met the person she wanted to meet the least. She grabbed his wrist rather carefully, both to touch him as little as possible, but also to not hurt him. She declared there was no infection and began healing it. "There all set."

"Thank you, Haruno-san" he said and gave her a polite nod.

"Don't mention it" she said almost grumpily. Great, she was with her unwanted future husband and her chakra had just gone down. Now one wrong step from him could be fatal.

"You are angry" he said and closed the door silently, but he was on the wrong side of it. He was on the inside.

"What makes you think so?" she asked, careful to not let her anger slip out.

"You are tense and I can see it in your eyes" he simply said.

"And this matters because?" she asked and slammed shut the drawer she had been checking. She narrowed her eyes and set her hands on the top of her desk.

Itachi walked to stand at the other side of her desk and mimicked her stance. "I can't have you this way when you come to live with us tomorrow, kaa-san would be in despair" he stated.

Sakura gawked at him. He knew they were engaged and he was not caring one single bit?! She recovered from her shock and got angry. "If you don't want me this way break the engagement!" she almost yelled at him, glaring into his ruby eyes.

He considered her for a moment. "I cannot do that" he said and stood straight.

"And why the hell not?!" she asked furiously. "You're a clan heir right? You should have some kind of power over this!" she threw her arms up.

"It is because I am a clan heir that I have no saying in this. You should know" he said. He obviously knew she was heir to her own clan. It was not as powerful as most of the other clans, and did not have any special blood line except excellent genjutsu and chakra control, but they had a great diplomatic influence. Sakura knew she had little saying about things that regarded her, but she thought that this would at least be her choice.

"It is something decided by our clan heads, and so I can not break this engagement, only they can" he said and walked to the door.

Sakura shook with anger and wanted to do nothing else but to yell at him to go drown himself, but held her mouth. But what he said next had her forgetting the anger for a moment.

"I'm sorry."

-------------

Word count: 7668 words

A/N: I Hope you enjoyed! Next chapter will come soon, promise.

If you like this, you might like my oneshots too. More of those wil come, but for now, check those I've made. Pleasie?

Now, for questions:

Marriages like Agito's and Mikaru's does exist. I live in one myself (my parents I should say…). I just don't think it's right to have one of Sakura's parents dead in the beginning. This is like a kind of pedagogic story for me. I'm writing about her mother with cancer, and I am trying to express how it is to have someone close to you dying.

This will be maybe 9 chapters at the most, if I get them to be this length, which is what I wish.

Isn't Itachi cute as a child? I think my self he's adorable! I can imagine him with a small ponytail that is so short it's not laying against his neck, but stands out. x3 Cute…

Anyway, Please review and give me constructive criticism! There is nothing more annoying than unnecessary flames.

The more you review, the faster I write :D


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter II**

**Living with the Uchiha's**

Sakura was going to kill her parents. Yes, she should give her mother a to big dose of morphine and her father… she'll poison him.

She stood outside the Uchiha's main house and was reluctant in if she should knock or run for her life and become a missing nin. Right now, the second sounded more appealing, but of course, someone had to come and ruin her great plan by making it known to everyone on the grounds she was there, she who had successfully sneaked in without attracting attention.

"Oh my! If it isn't Sakura-chan!" The most unlikely Uchiha throughout the history of the great clan squealed in an unbelievably high voice.

Sakura turned with a twitching eye. "Shisui-san" she greeted with a grim tone.

"Oh, no need to be so cold to me! Don't tell me Itachi is rubbing of on you already! I bet he haven't even bedded you, playing the perfect gentleman that he is!" Shishu walked up to the door and was about to slide it open when another long haired male did so instead.

"Shisui, I would appreciate if you don't scare her out of the compound before kaa-san has greeted her" he said emotionlessly, stepping aside to let both of them in.

"Come on, Ita-chan! You should quit denying your obviously good looks and sexual appeal to the female sex just because you happen to live in celibate!" Shisui waved his hand girlishly, something he did very often. Those who did not know him would say he was gay, but he most certainly is not, no gay would be so perverted and imaginary about sex like Shisui of the body flicker.

Itachi threw a glare towards his cousin telling him to shut up. "Kaa-san has made Oyakodon, and we will have dango for desert" obviously Itachi knew what his cousin liked because he shone up and danced away on light feet towards what probably was the kitchen, all the while sniffing the air and calling 'Mikoto-bachan!'

"Welcome, Sakura-san" Itachi said with a sigh, gesturing for her to follow him.

"Thank you" her bitterness sipped out through her teeth as she spoke. She walked with her feet hitting the floor a little harder than they had to. She knew he heard her stomping, and she knew he knew she was angry, but for some reason he did not care. And for that, she was rather thankful.

They walked through a few corridors before they ended up walking on a roka. Sakura always liked this part of their house. Every time she had been there it had been lovely weather and she would sit there, enjoying the soft breeze and relaxing sound of pouring water. She really hoped her room would be somewhere near here.

"This is your room" Itachi stopped and slid open a fusuma to let her enter. She did and stepped onto ordinary wooden floor, not the usual tatami mats that was in most other rooms they had passed. Her eyes flickered across the room and was extremely grateful to find an ordinary bed instead of a futon.

"My room is next to yours, so just come in if you would need anything" he said and leaned on the doorframe, waiting for Sakura to put her stuff down so they could return to the kitchen.

_Great, do I have to live the rest of my days of freedom three meters away from him? Isn__'t the rest of my life enough?!_ she thought and put down the awfully big bag she was carrying together with another one full of medical supplies. She looked over the room once again before sighing and turned to follow her fiancé to the kitchen, only that he was not there anymore.

_Where did he go to? I didn__'t hear him move…_ she thought before slapping herself mentally, he was an ANBU, it's natural for him to move without sound. So, she walked out on the roka and to the room next to hers, peaking inside the door. He was kneeling down in front of a drawer and was just taking something out. When he stood up he put it in his pocket to face her with the emotionless face he always had.

Itachi went out of his room and began to walk down the roka. "Shall we go?" he asked over his shoulder when she did not follow him. She gave him a frown and a huff before she went after him. "There is no meaning in being angry, it will only make things worse" he advised her quietly.

Sakura glared a dagger into his back, cursing in her mind. "I know that" she said grumpily.

"Then why do you keep being stubborn about it?" he asked, a hidden smirk on his face.

"Because, everyone should at least know I'm not a bit happy about this" she sneered at his back, guessing he was smirking by now. He was to closely related to Sasuke to not be.

"Even if you are, not many will see why" he said, amusement gone from both his face and voice.

"And why not?" she snapped.

Itachi gave her a glance over his shoulder. "You are to be married to an ANBU captain who happens to be a clan heir, many would call you lucky" he said and faced forward again.

Sakura gawked at the place where his face had been moments before. Did he think he was some kind of prince? In a way he was, but that's not the point. "Excuse me?" she asked a bit disturbed.

"It will provide you both money, status and a gain of more diplomatic influence. In short, you will have power, something many want these days" he said without looking at her.

After hearing his explanation, she knew he was right, but as the stubborn woman she was, she refused to admit it. "I'm an heir myself, thank you very much" she muttered.

"But not the heir to the most powerful clan in Konoha. Even if your clan have a very much political power, you still stand under the Uchiha clan" Itachi stated matter-of-factly.

Sakura wanted to retort, but they walked into the kitchen of the Uchiha mansion, and in Mikoto's presence she did not want to make a fuzz.

"Oh! Sakura-chan!" The Uchiha's first lady cried and abandoned the pot she had on the stove to hug her soon-to-be daughter in law. "I'm so sorry I could not greet you the moment you came, but I had to watch the food. But I'm so happy to have you here! Please sit down, sit down! Sasuke and Fugaku will be home any moment now and then we will eat. Oh my, I forgot to tell him…" Mikoto let go of the girl and instead held her own face in-between her hands worriedly. "Oh! The food!" she said and turned to the stove, her problems forgotten.

Sakura decided to sit down. Itachi soon joined her from the living room together with Shisui. "Come on, Ita-chan! You can tell me if you did something dishonorable while being in her room! Or else I will go check the entire house for sweat and ruffled sheets!" he said and tugged childishly at his cousins Uchiha t-shirt.

"Shisui, just because you happen to bed every woman you get over it does not mean all other Uchiha will do the same" Itachi sat down beside Sakura, to save her from the all to eager fingers of his cousin.

"Whatever…" Shisui hated when his younger cousin had right, and especially when it came to his own habits and such. "But I sure am jealous of you! When you're married to Sakura-chan you will surely get special services! I remember the last time when she cured me she was such a sweetheart! If she's like that towards her patients, I can't imagine how sweet she will be towards her husband--"

"Husband?" Sasuke stood in the doorway to the kitchen, staring confusedly at his cousin.

"Sasuke-chan! Is your father with you?" Mikoto asked nervously.

"I am here, Mikoto" Fugaku appeared behind his son and patted him on the head. "Sasuke took a little extra time in the training grounds, therefore we are late."

"Don't try to change the topic! Why are you talking about Sakura getting married?" Sasuke frowned at his mother.

"Well you see, Sasuke…" Mikorto began, but Shisui interrupted her.

"You don't know Sakura-chan is going to be Ita-chan's lovely wedded wife by the end of next week?" the stupid man could not have chosen a better way to freak out the poor Uchiha of team 7.

Sasuke stood frozen a few seconds. Then he looked to Sakura who was hiding her face in shame. "You're kidding right?" he said, confusion evident in his voice.

"It have been arranged by the elders of our clans" Itachi said to spare the girl the uncomfortable task to explain it all to her team mate and fake brother.

Sasuke was desperately pondering on why the two clans had paired his heart's sister and his brother who surely was a reincarnation of the devil with each other. "Why didn't you tell me sooner?" he asked shaking his head in confusion.

"Well… I forgot about it" Mikoto laughed nervously. She began to put the food on the table, trying to ease the tension in the air. Shisui was staring confusedly between the two brothers and the girl this was all about.

"Did I do something?"

-

A little while later when Sasuke had calmed down and everyone had eaten Mikoto stood. "Sakura-chan, you can go back to your room if you like" she smiled and began clearing the table of the dishes.

"No, I'll help with the dishes" Sakura offered and also began clearing the low table from plates and bowls.

She went to the kitchen worktop to help with cleaning the dishes.

"Ah, I'm stuffed!" Shisui patted his stomach as he leaned backwards from his sitting position before he looked towards the two working women. "Now I'm turning more jealous, Ita-chan! You'll have Sakura-chan's home cooked meal everyday, and I can clearly imagine her in a black maid dress with an apron, ready to serve…" his voice died when he got a death glare from every person in the room.

"Shut it, you disoriented pervert" Sasuke said grimly.

"What was that? I thought I heard a voice… Oh my, it was Sasu-chan who have a complex with his big brother!" Shisui threw back.

"Boys, behave, we are in ladies company" Fugaku warned.

Suddenly Itachi got a kunai out from beneath the table, ready to both throw and defend.

An ANBU appeared outside the open window over the counter next to Mikoto. "I express my deepest apology, Uchiha-sama, for disturbing you at this hour, but a smaller army from Cloud has been spotted and it is nearing Konoha. The Hokage require you at her office."

"I'm not going?" Sakura asked, she had often followed with an ANBU team as field medic.

"No, you are to stay here in the village. Tsunade-sama have put you off duty until the morning, due to you working a triple-shift, without much sleep. She feared you would become exhausted before you caught up with the platoon" the ANBU explained and bowed. "I will take my leave" she said and disappeared.

Sakura felt anger rise in her chest. This was all Itachi's fault. If he had not existed, she would not have overworked herself to avoid any kind of contact with him or his family (or her own). Damn him.

"Don't worry, Ita-chan! I'll take good care of her!" Shisui waved off his cousin through the door, even if he still could not see him.

Instead, Itachi appeared in full ANBU attire by the window. "Sasuke, make sure Shisui is out of the house before you go to sleep and put a protection jutsu on her door" Itachi said and put his mask on.

"You didn't have to tell me" Sasuke muttered.

"Why do you two always pick on me?!" Shisui cried. "It's only right for an underling to take care of his future first lady!"

"Your meaning of 'taking care' is a whole other than normal peoples" Sasuke said, because his brother had already headed out.

"I hope he comes home safely. It would be bad if he had to be out to long, then we cannot prepare him for the wedding" Mikoto mumbled, her voice filled of worry for her son.

"I'm sure he will be fine, Mikoto-san. He's strong" Sakura said, trying to make the woman stop worrying.

"Sakura-chan is right. Itachi isn't a prodigy for nothing!" Shisui said encouragingly. "Besides, now he has someone to come home to, so I doubt he would give that up, just like that."

Sakura dried the last of the plates and placed it in the cabinet it was supposed to be in.

"I think I'm going to bed. I have to pack up my things" she said and bowed towards the men at the table and Mikoto.

"Oh, right! Have a good nights sleep, Sakura-chan" Mikoto smiled and seated herself by the table again, talking to her husband.

"Good night Saku-chan! You won't mind if I come and join you do you?" the most perverted Uchiha existing asked with a wink.

"Of course not, Shisui, I'd love to have you as a punching bag" Sakura said all to sweetly before she disappeared out of sight.

"She's not happy about this, is she?"

-----

The next day Sakura was walking towards the hospital. She had woken up, and Itachi still had not come back. Therefore she walked a bit faster. No, not to see if he had been landed in the hospital and needed immediate expert care, but to see if he had died, so she would be free from her unwanted engagement. If now that was to be the case. So no, she was absolutely not walking faster to see if he were ok. She was not.

"Sakura-chan!" as she walked down the empty alley behind the hospital she clearly heard a very familiar voice which belonged to the number one knucklehead ninja of all time. She turned just in time to see that particular blur of orange jump against her to tackle her to the ground. But he did only succeed in getting himself down to the ground, due to her quick side stepping.

"What, Naruto?" she asked and nudged his unmoving body with the tip of her exposed toes.

"Don't do it, Sakura-chan!" Naruto cried as he jumped up to his feet, throwing his arms around his female team mate.

"What should I not do?" she asked, sighing.

"Don't marry bastards brother! I can't beat him up!" the blonde said with teary eyes.

"Who told you about that?! And keep your voice down!" she hissed.

"Emo-kid did, Hag" Sai appeared by the end of the alley and approached them with Sasuke coming behind him.

"Sasuke!" she shrieked angrily.

Sasuke glared at her. "I think they have the right to know" he said.

"But if either of them know, they will tell Ino and then all Konoha will know!" she imitated Naruto and threw her arms up in the air.

"Isn't it better for them to know now instead of wondering why you're named Uchiha all of a sudden?" Sasuke knew he had a point. Damn Uchihas, always being smart (Shisui not included).

"Don't tell anyone! I'll do it myself!" she warned them with a raised fist before she turned on her heel to enter the hospital though the back door. Leaving Naruto who was being dragged away by his black haired team mates screaming curses over a certain Uchiha if he were to touch his own Sakura-chan.

----

Sakura sighed as she checked her chart once again. She was to visit her mother before she could quit for the day. It was sunset and ten ANBU had been brought back, none of them being Uchiha. When she found out she had let out a big sigh. It was not a sigh of relief. She would never sigh in relief because her unwanted fiancé was alright. No, she would never.

"Haruno-sama, I have a message for you!" Casella waved her hand as her pink haired senior walked past her.

"From whom?" Sakura asked and leaned over the desk the nurse was standing behind.

"Mikoto-sama. She was here this afternoon to visit your mother. I remembered she had flowers with her. A beautiful ornament, if I may add. It was forget-me-nots and lilies and amaryllises! Oh, you have to go see for yourself, Haruno-sama!" Casella waved her hand and squealed. So nice to be fifteen…

"I will be checking out soon, so if you could see if there was anything else to do, tell me when I come by" Sakura said and took the note that was placed on the counter. She unfolded it and read it through.

'_Sakura-chan, I and Fugaku will be visiting an old friend outside the village tonight and won't be home until tomorrow morning at the earliest, and Sasuke is coming with us. I left some money in the kitchen if you would like to go and buy something. Sasuke reminded me to tell you to put a genjutsu on the house, as protection for Shisui. But I do not think that will be necessary. _

_Hope your day continues well, and have a good night._

_Mikoto_

Sakura folded the note and put it in her medical robes pocket before beginning to walk against her mothers room. Her heels made clicking sounds as she walked on the tile floor. She had not visited her mother in three days. She had been to pissed to do so and had left the task with Casella. But today she had to do it herself, since it was time for her mother's medication and Casella did not have the authority to give the pills.

So, with pills in her robe's pocket she walked slower than before, checking every patient she had on the way there. But it could not keep her occupied for long, since they were either sleeping or being perfectly fine aside from their illness.

When she stood outside the door to her mother's room she took a deep breath and blanked her face. She slid the door open and stepped inside, digging in her pocket for the pills.

"Good evening, Sakura-chan" Her mother said from the bed with a smile. "How is it at the Uchiha mansion? I haven't seen you in three days, so I haven't heard more than what Mikoto have told me."

"Good evening kaa-san" Sakura said emotionlessly as she handed her mom the pills and a glass of water. "Swallow them all at once, don't chew."

Mikaru got a hurtful expression, but she did as she was told. She coughed a few times after she had swallowed the water. "I hate pills. But Sakura-chan, tell me how it is living with Itachi. Do you get along well?"

"Itachi is out in the field, fighting a threatening platoon from Cloud, he left the day I arrived" she said and fingered the beautiful bouquet of flowers standing on the rather large nightstand. Casella had been right, it was a beautiful ornament. "Didn't Mikoto-san tell you?"

"No, she was to excited about the wedding to speak much of anything else. She is so happy you would become her daughter in law" Mikaru smiled and leaned back into her pillow.

_Good thing someone is__…_ Inner Sakura muttered angrily in place of her outer.

"I need to go now, my shift has ended" Sakura turned and was about to walk out the door.

"Sakura" her mother called seriously. When her child stopped she began speaking again, "we did this for your sake. We would never force you into something that would not be good for you."

At the comment Sakura began laughing. "You think you did me a favor when you engaged me with Itachi?! That's the most ridiculous thing I've ever heard. Not everyone falls in love with the one they are engaged with against their will, kaa-san" she slammed the door and stomped down the corridor.

Her parents had also been arranged to get married, but they fell in love with each other at first sight of one another. Even if they both were Haruno they had never met. They were the two within the clan who were the least related of all in the family and could therefore marry and have a child.

She stomped past the reception and threw her robe over the counter telling the receptionist to check her out.

Her steps soon took her to the place where she knew one of her best friends would be at, Ichiraku Ramen. It was Friday night and the streets were crowded and the stall of unhealthy food usually also was packed, but tonight one lone stool was free, and it seemed to be next to the only man in the world with whiskers on his cheeks. She entered the restaurant and poked the most orange ninja in worlds history. He turned his face to her with ramen still hanging out his mouth.

"Shakura-slan!" he cried before swallowing. "Why are you here?" he hit himself on the chest to try and get the poorly chewed food down.

"The others are out and I was bored, so I thought I might as well talk with you a little. Where's Sai?" she asked when she realized the socially retarded member of team seven was not present.

"He's at home, reading some stupid book on how to react when something happens to your friend" Naruto said, his tone witnessing about that Sai had asked a lot of questions about how to react when she was getting married.

"Oh, I see. That idiot" she said and sat down, ordering pork ramen. "What have you been doing today then?"

Naruto grinned and tapped his chopsticks against the counter. "I've been training! I'm in the middle of improving my rasen shuriken. It's super cool!" he said and began eating again.

Sakura smiled and took a pair of chopsticks when her food was placed in front of her. She began to eat, but the peace was soon disturbed by a certain Uchiha. "Why hello Sakura-chan! Are you going on dates now when Ita-chan is out of town? Then I'm next and last in line tonight! Move it, blondie" Shisui pointed with his thumb over his shoulder, indication for Naruto to get out of the area.

"What did you say you perverted fake Uchiha?!" Naruto snapped.

"Why is it that everyone call me perverted?!" Shisui cried in desperation.

"Guess three times" Sakura smiled and continued to eat.

"Oh, yeah! I was to get you Sakura. No one who isn't Uchiha can get into the compound after nine. So you got to head back soon. Don't forget you can always come to my place if you feel lonely" he winked and turned to walk away.

"Don't flirt with Sakura-chan, you Uchiha bastard!" Naruto waved his fist at the man, while still having his face in the bowl of ramen. Shisui was either out of hearing range or he was simply ignoring him like a professional Uchiha.

Sakura looked at the watch on the wall and gasped, half nine already. "Naruto, you can have my bowl, I have to get back" she said and pushed the remains of her meal to her hungry team mate.

"Thankhs Shakulja-chjan!" Naruto grinned, with his mouth full of ramen.

"See you around" she said and left.

"Hey! She left me with the bill!" she heard him shout when she had already mixed into the crowd.

She hurriedly walked down the main street and was about to turn into an alley when she saw a pair making out in the darkness. _Nope, not here!_ she thought and continued on her way. At this rate she would be locked out of the compound! If she would have any chance of getting there on time she would have to take the rooftops.

She took off up in the air, earning many awed sounds from civilians and children. But she had no time caring about that. She swiftly jumped over the roofs, pumping her chakra down into her legs. She heard many sounds as she flew through the air. Children crying in pain and agony, women screaming in pleasure and drunken men fighting along with the laughter of friends.

Sakura landed on her feet by the gate of the Uchiha grounds. She looked up and saw two from the clan standing guard. "I-I'm not to late, am I?" she asked, her breathing a little huskier that it usually was.

The short haired Uchiha on the right shook his head. "No, you are just on time, Sakura-sama" he said, with a rather girlish voice.

She took a breath in relief and nodded, walking past them and onto the main street. The clansmen were still busy, hanging up glowing lanterns and such, while children ran around chasing butterflies which happened to be out still.

"Look! It's Sakura-sama!" a little girl shouted to her friends and pointed to the startled girl.

Sakura turned and pushed down the urge to gasp when she was surrounded by Uchiha kids. _Aren't they adorable? I want one too!_ Inner Sakura said, but was slapped down by her outer for implying to be willing to spend a night with Itachi.

"Sakura-sama is so pretty! Mamo-chan want long pink hair like Sakura-sama!" a girl in kimono and short black hair said.

"Is it true that Itachi-sama and Sakura-sama will marry soon?" another girl asked and the children fell silent, waiting for her answer.

Sakura let out an uncomfortable laugh. "Yes, it's true. I will marry him next week" she said and smiled as good as she could at the curious children.

"Can we come to your wedding?" a boy asked, and the children got puppy eyes.

"I do think so. But it is Mikoto-san who decides that" she said with an unsure and slightly trembling voice. She did not want to disappoint them, but she could not promise either.

"Oh… Then we have to ask Mikoto-sama when she comes back!" the children smiled happily before saying goodbye and running off.

With a relived sigh Sakura continued on her way towards the mansion, all the while receiving bows from both grown ups and children which she felt she had to return. It would be best to come on good foot with them from the beginning.

She was happy when she closed the sliding door behind her. The entire house was quiet, and it was wonderful. She was not sure if she would be able to keep her happy act up much longer. She took of her shoes and went to the kitchen, seeing a letter, probably containing money, leaning on a plate with onigiri. She decided to take the plate to her room, since it felt very scary to eat alone in the kitchen.

It was a rather cold night, now when she cared to take notice about it. And the lanterns were not lit like they usually was, probably because none of the Uchiha's living here was at home at the moment. She walked past Itachi's door, but then realized she should check if he was back. No, it's not because she wanted to see if he was ok, it was so that she could determine if he had died for some reason. So no, she's not the least bit concerned about him.

She slid the door open and peaked inside, but he was not there. Not even a bloody corpse laid on the floor. Damn him for not letting her know if he was alright or not. She only wanted to know if she was to be freed from her position of future lady Uchiha. She did not want to see if he was ok or not. She was not concerned with his wellbeing.

She sighed and walked to her own room, and set the plate she held on the desk situated by the end of her bed. She took of the plastic around it and took one of the onigiris. The moment it touched her tongue she could easily say these were the tastiest snack she had ever eaten. It was not a secret to her that Mikoto's cooking skills was adored among her family, each time Sasuke took a lunchbox with him to training he ate with very big appetite. She would have to ask the kind Uchiha to teach her how to make these, they would not be for Itachi, but for her. Really.

She licked the remaining rise of her fingers before taking of her red shirt. Even if it was comfortable she preferred not to wear it. She reached down and took of her medical apron and shorts. Now anyone who come into her room would be damned and wish they had never woke up this morning. She stretched her arms up in the air and got to her toes before letting out a breath and relaxing. She reached behind her back and unhooked her bra and put it on the floor by the desk. She went to the head of the bed, raised the duvet and crept under it. She let out a pleased sigh and closed her eyes and was soon drifting of into a comfortable slumber.

-

Sakura had no idea how long time she had slept, but it was still dark outside when she opened her eyes again. She did not know what had caused her to wake up, but she was feeling a displeasing feeling in her stomach. Could it be someone entered the mansion? Was it Shisui who was out on a nightly adventure or someone else entirely? But on the other hand, she might just be feeling home sick and lonely in this big house.

She decided to get up anyway and put her shirt on, it would be uncomfortable to fight without anything covering her body, since she had decided not to wear any nightgown. She froze when she heard a rather quiet limping sound and even quieter heavy breathing. She immediately recognized the chakra and knew it was Itachi. She saw his silhouette against her door and noticed he was wounded.

Urgently she opened her door and gasped at the very exhausted and beat up man in front of her. His arm was bleeding, blood dripping down onto the roka and his fingers hung limply. A large stab wound was in his thigh, making him link. A slash over his back had been bleeding for a long time, and yet again he impressed her by not fainting from blood loss.

"Itachi! What have you done?!" she asked and immediately helped him inside her room. Blood flowed from his mouth before he spoke.

"The Cloud nins… they targeted me…" he whispered at the best he could handle with his hoarse voice.

"Why the hell didn't you run away then? Stupid Uchiha!" Sakura sneered at him for his careless behavior. She did not get a reply as she helped him to sit down on the chair by her desk. She could not lay him in her bed before she had cleaned his wounds and healed them. With steady hands she removed his ANBU vest, earning herself a good look on his well toned chest. She went to her medical bag and brought it to his side. She dug around in it and found some disinfectant. "This is going to hurt" she said and held a small cotton wad with the yellow liquid with forceps. She carefully put it on the vertical slash on his back, earning nothing but a slight twitch.

"Don't you dare die on me, Uchiha" she ordered him and pressed the wad a little harder to his wound, as to get her point clear to his semi conscious state. When she did not get a reply once again, she decided it would be best to talk to keep him awake. "If you die now, you'll disappoint the kids. They said they really looked forward to the wedding you know."

Sakura put her hand over his wound and began healing it. It proved to be tricky, his ribs had been halfway cut through and his muscles had been severely damaged as well. Her hand glowed green and she concentrated on both keeping his heart beating and to repair his body. "Mikoto is also worked up about this. She said we'd go and look on kimono's tomorrow. She told me almost everything is ready, it's just the final decorations, cake and clothing left. She said she wanted to see you in a suit at the wedding. She told me you hadn't worn one since you were five, since you ran away all the time" she giggled a little as she closed the wound.

Then she repeated the procedure on his arm. "Shisui said he looked forward to the ceremony to. He said he wanted to see a full make out session the moment the priest say you may kiss the bride. I guess he wants to change position with you" she said and noticed his half lidded black eyes staring at her. "What?" she asked with a frown.

Itachi blinked once, but did not answer her with more than a grunt when he moved his leg.

"Oh, right…" she said and put disinfection in the wound. "Don't move the slightest bit" she warned him and put her hand over the wound. She closed her eyes in concentration. There was a slight crack in his bone, but it was easy to heal. Next she had to be careful as to not mess up his muscle as she healed it. "Sasuke don't seem to happy about it though. He think little Uchiha babies will invade his life in the next year" dear god, please say she did not say that just now!

Itachi smirked weakly, even though she did not see it. When she was done closing his would she fell backwards, breathing heavily. Sweat was running down her face by now. Her chakra had gone down to a near zero and she was still tired after the work in the hospital. She shook her head before standing up. "Come on, you're going into your room" she waved her hand.

"I'd rather not move that far" he said lowly, his face pale as snow.

"Fine! You can sleep here, but only tonight!" Sakura said and helped him stand up. They both walked slowly and rather unsteadily, and both were quite happy when they could sit down on her bed. "Lie down. I'll go wash away the blood" she said and stood up.

She walked out and headed for the kitchen. She tried to blink the urge to sleep out of her eyes all the way. Once she got to the kitchenette she found a mop, and went to the hall to beginning cleaning the floor. She had a hard time seeing the blood in the dark and had to strain her already tired orbs. She went in a trance until she came to her door, having no memory of ever cleaning anything. But she did not care. If she had failed in erasing the red liquid she would only cause Mikoto a heart attack, nothing too serious…

She walked into her room, and without shutting the door she stumbled to the bed only to remember it being occupied by Itachi. "Stupid Uchiha…" she mumbled and sat down on the floor. She laid her arms on the bed and leaned her head towards it. She barely had the time to close her eyes before she fell asleep.

--

"Sakura-chan, why didn't you shut… Oh my god!" the most perverted Uchiha of them all shrieked when he saw the scene in the bedroom of the cherry blossom. Sakura was leaning against the bed, her head only inches away from her fiancés. Even he was reluctant if he cried out because of the overwhelming fluff of the vision of it was because he found with of them both unconscious and low on chakra. "Mikoto-bachan!" he yelled and walked into the room.

As he looked them both over for injury Mikoto's soft padding was approaching. "What is it Shi… Itachi! Sakura-chan!" she gasped when she caught sight of the fainted pair. "W-What happened?!" she asked in slight panic.

Shisui took a deep breath. "It wasn't as serious as I thought at first. Itachi probably came home with injuries, and Sakura-chan became emptied on chakra when she healed him. They'll be fine" he said with a slightly shaky voice.

Mikoto let out a cry of relief, and eased tears began rolling down her cheeks. "I-I thought I never would be able to see him in fancy clothing again…" she laughed a little as she dried away her tears.

-------

Word count: 6137

A/N: First, Thank you all who has reviewed!

So, yet another chapter is out! God, this took me such a long time to write, it was a fast update, but I kept on stopping all the time! Whenever it's Itachi and Sakura alone, or Shisui, it goes like a hurricane to write, but when it's the stuff in between, I do it so slowly! Damn…

Anyways, what do you think of my Shisui? xD I find him very funny and realistic, it would be unlikely that Itachi would have an ordinary Uchiha of a best friend.

Please review, it helps me write faster :D


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter III**

**Dresses and gossip**

Sakura sat by the breakfast table, her head dizzy and mind clouded. She sat alone in the kitchen, eating some dangos Mikoto had left for her and Itachi, in case they woke up before she came home to prepare dinner. It had not hit her that it had been one day since Itachi came home and that she had slept since then. She still felt her chakra being only replenished by a half. She was grateful that there seemed to be some extra sugar in these snacks, or else she would have fallen asleep by now.

She was on her second stick when she heard soft padding coming from the door. A wonderfully dazed Uchiha Itachi appeared without anything on his upper body and long lazily tied hair spilling over his shoulder like ink. He was rubbing his temple with his hand and his black eyes were dark with sleepiness. It would be any woman's dream to see such a gorgeous man in such a cute action, if that woman was not his unwilling bride-to-be.

Itachi was not cute. He was not gorgeous. _He's a god! God of smexyness!_ Inner Sakura called out before her outer could finish her denying thoughts. No, he was not a god, just a normal human who happened to look like a go--

_No! That__'s not right! He's not hot, he's not good looking he's just--_

_Our soon to be wedded sexy husband who will not be able to resist us--_

_Shut up!_ Sakura wanted to shriek out in the silent room to distract her thoughts. She would be blushing furiously if she had not been trained to keep from blushing, having three nicely sculptured men on her team who just happened to see no problem in training and walking around without a shirt on their torso. But still, her gaze kept being swept to his muscled back, since he had it against her as he looked in the fridge for something.

_Oh, I can__'t wait until we'll claw that broad back as he's above us--_

_I said shut up!_ poor Sakura hated her inner at the moment as a quick picture of the briefly explained scene flashed across her inner eye to make her blush. And at just that moment Itachi had decided he was done in the fridge and was turning around with two bottles in hand. He sat down on the floor pillow opposite of her and set one of the bottles in front of her.

"Drink it, it'll help you to replenish your chakra" he said when she looked strangely at it.

"Oh…" she said and set down the dango stick, which she had forgotten to eat from since the hottest Uchiha living had entered the room. Her pale hand took the bottle and opened it, a sweet scent came from the clear liquid inside it. Her dry mouth wanted to devour it all in a heap, but she knew better than to be fooled by the scent, many medicines had a horrible taste, even if it smelled so deliciously it could be called intoxicating. She hesitantly put the opening to her oddly dry lips and let some of it flow down her throat. And just as she suspected it tasted disgustingly.

She coughed and forced herself to swallow. It tasted like a mix of cherries and pineapple, the two fruits she could not bear to put in her mouth. She quickly took a bite of one of the dangos on the stick at the table. It unsuccessfully hid all of the aroma. "Dear god!" she said and quickly went to the sink and turned it on to drink from her hands. That must have been one of the most disgusting things she had ever let touch her tongue. And she did not feel her chakra getting particularly affected either.

"It was not appealing to you, Sakura-san?" Itachi asked with a smirk from the table. He had already emptied his bottle halfway.

"It tasted like cherries and pineapples, they're disgusting on their own, together they're horrible" she breathed and turned, frowning when she noticed his smirk. "Don't you smirk at me, Uchiha" she said and sat down, all the while glaring at him.

"Strange how this always taste like the thing one hates the most" he said and put the bottle down, taking one of the dango sticks from the plate in the middle of the table.

"Oh? Then what does it taste like for you?" she asked with a quirked eyebrow.

"Blueberries" he said and took a bite of the stick in his hand.

_Now I know what to use when I cook__…_ she said to herself, keeping a straight face.

The two ate in silence until the peace was disturbed by a certain person once again. "Hello? Anyone home?" the now familiar voice of Shisui came from the hall before his figure appeared in the doorway. "My, my! If it isn't the lovely dovelike couple! You've finally awaken, you've slept so long I was beginning to think it was more than exhaustion because of chakra-loss!"

"What are you taking about?" Sakura asked, unsure why he said they had slept long, it was only 10 a.m.

"Well, the two of you have been sleeping for a whole day and night. That's pretty much even for a chakra depletion" Shisui said while rubbing the back of his head. "Are you sure you didn't do any nightly adventures together?" he raised his eyebrows and got a smug look.

"Shisui, don't do everything more complicated than it already is" Itachi sighed and took a bite off the dango in his hand, licking some of the spill from the corner of his mouth.

_I would say that to you, you incredibly sexy man!_ How come the rebellious inner of Sakura hated him just a few days ago and now thought he was the hottest being on the planet? _Don't get me wrong, Saku-chan, I still hate him for existing, but why not make the best of the situation and use as much as possible of that muscled wonder walking among us?_

That was it!

Sakura stood up hastily, her bangs covering her expression. She stomped past Shisui, leaving the two cousins alone.

"What's with her?" he asked and stared after her for a few seconds.

"She does not want this marriage, and I understand her" Itachi said while leaning his chin on his hand, staring out the window.

Shisui sighed and sat down where the girl had previously been. "You should tell her how you feel, you know" he said and took a dango stick.

"No. Then she will only stay and pretend to be happy because she knows. I will only make her more miserable if I do that" his eyes glinted with a light, one rarely showing.

"But if you don't someone else might take her. Do you want that?" Shisui said and looked pitifully at his best friend.

"I'd rather let her have an affair and be happy than to keep her as an unhappy prisoner who stays with me just because I have feelings for her" he said and drank another sip of the bottle in his hand.

Shisui leaned back and put his hands behind his head. "You really have devoted your life to her, haven't you?"

Itachi closed his eyes and was silent for several moments. "Yes. Ever since I saw her for the first time…" his voice was distant, as if he recalled a memory. "When I saw her, I for the first time accepted not knowing how something worked. She made me accept that something might just meant to be _there_."

Shisui laughed. "It's not me who needs your confession, pretty boy. You should at the least try and make her repay you in some way. You know, her blood line is after all the main reason the elders accepted your marriage with her" he shuddered when his cousin sent a very mean glare his way.

"Never say such a thing again, Shisui" there was no need for any threatening, Shisui knew more than enough to take his words seriously.

"Yeah, yeah… But I really think you should consider yourself for once" he said and took a bite of the snack in his hand.

"I've been trained my whole life to think about the clan only, don't come and say you are getting rebellious, Shisui" Itachi said, amusement laid as a coat in his voice.

"I never said the clan's antics were right. Just as I said, think about yourself and your own desires just this once. She will learn to live with you eventually if she have been able to remain in a team with those three as team mates for such a long time. And she's learned to like Sasuke even! So why would she not like you?" he made gestured with his arms as he spoke.

"Because she knows she can just walk away from them, they have a freedom between each other. She know that if she marries me she will never be able to get out of it. She is already feeling like a prisoner" Itachi turned his gaze downwards.

"If you tell her about your feelings, I doubt she will" Shisui got up and walked to the door. "See ya!"

------

Sakura went out of the bathroom after taking a calming shower. Even if her inner had tried to create some _really_ inappropriate pictures of herself and Itachi in the very same shower _together _she had become relaxed. So now she was calmly strolling down the corridor that would take her out to the roka outside her own room. But just as she was about to turn she bumped into a hard chest. She looked up and gasped when she realized it was her future husband she found herself pressed against. She let out a shriek and jumped backwards, losing hold on the towel she had wrapped around her body.

It took a few seconds for her to register exactly why Itachi had politely looked to the side and closed his eyes when she looked down on her body. With another yelp she saw that the towel that she only held in one end covered solely her most secret place while the rest of her creamy skin was fully exposed to the world to stare at, only that the only pair of eyes present at the time were those of her fiancé who were currently with his back at her, giving her privacy to cover herself. She quickly rearranged the piece of fabric around her body and quickly ran past the man standing by the doorway.

"Sakura-san" he called her name so gently it could almost be called seductively. She stopped mid-step to listen to what he had to say. She turned her flustered frame towards him, but he had once again turned his back at her--playing the perfect gentleman he was, encoring to his cousin anyway.

"What?" she asked briefly. She tugged at the hem of the towel around her body.

He turned his head to look her in the eye, a small glint playing in his black orbs. "I forgot to thank you for healing me when I came home after my mission. It was very kind of you" he said and was about to start walking again.

"D-Don't mention it" she said and turned to run inside her room. She slammed the door shut, putting her cool hands on her flustered cheeks. She knew she should not be blushing, but damn! Her future husband had seen her naked (it did not occur to her that it is the whole point of a marriage), and he did not react one single bit! She was unsure if she was becoming red of embarrassment, anger, humiliation or…

_That wonderful feeling of butterflies in our tummy, and a little lower down__… _the ever betraying inner persona of Haruno Sakura once again finished the sentence for her, in a rather naughtier outcome than was intended, once again…

"I hate you sometimes…" Sakura grumbled, much to her chagrin.

_No you don__'t! I'm totally lovable!_ Sakura would have laughed out loud, but satisfied with a snort.

She slowly dried her body, finding it an excuse to not leave her room anytime soon. As her skin became as smooth as it usually was her cheeks became a lighter pink. The terrible accident with Itachi and her just a few minutes before was still playing in her head. If anyone would hear about that, she would kill that person, and she had a feeling a (very) special Uchiha would soon need to be wiped of the face of the earth, literally.

She went over to her closet and searched for clean underwear and a dress or something else to wear. After turning her nicely folded clothes over and ruffled almost all of them she found what she was looking for. She first pulled on the white lacy panties she found, and then the matching white bra. When she once again stretched and turned and twirled a little she saw the onigiri on her desk, she had to throw that away. When she had made sure her less conservative clothes did not irritate her skin in any places she took the white dress she had found. She quickly slipped the soft material over her head and tied the straps around her neck in a small ribbon. She threw her long hair over her back and combed the silky lengths with her fingers for a moment before she opened the door.

But she did not go far, because just when she stepped foot on the roka she hit something hard, and if felt like a strange deja vú. Only that this hard surface was not clad in black, it was wet and skin colored. She slowly raised her gaze and yelped when she saw a very wet haired Itachi with relaxed black eyes staring down at her with his hand ruffling his black and damp locks. She promptly blushed and stepped back, her cheeks making a heavy contrast against her dress, skin and hair. It could almost be called Sharingan crimson.

"S-sorry…" she mumbled and hurried past him, missing the very naughty smirk adoring his very kissable lips.

When she was out of vision she began running towards the door, wanting to get out of there more than ever. Her feet made little sound as she ran on her tippy toes over the rough floor and soon ended up at the hall. She spotted her two pair of shoes, the ones she wore for missions and her high heeled strap sandals. Deciding a lighter attire would fit this hot and sunny early summer day she quickly attached the thin straps around her ankles.

Just when she slid the door open she was attacked by a heap of orange and black, and a hint of yellow. "Sakura-chan, you will go out with me!"

"Naruto, don't crush her!" another blond with lighter and longer hair smacked the most eccentric ninja in all of the five nations (Shisui being a close runner-up).

"Damn it Ino! All I did was to hug her!" Naruto wailed and rubbed his head where the aggressive girl had hit him.

"Shut it Naruto! Sakura, come on, we're going out" Ino said and tapped her foot.

"We are?" Sakura glared as she got up and brushed her dress. "I don't see a reason to go out with a pig."

"Shut it you too, forehead! You're coming with me either you like it or not!" Ino hooked her arm with Sakura and began to drag the poor girl down the main street of the Uchiha compound.

"Wait, how did you know I was here?" Sakura asked when she realized she indeed was being pulled away from the household of the Uchiha head family. Several woman with inky hair waved at the three teenagers as they quickly went down the street.

"Are you kidding me? Did you really think you could keep Naruto from screaming out his desperation with a stomach full of ramen and sake?" Ino snorted, "he'd having a hangover at this moment if I hadn't gotten there and talked to him."

"Naruto!" Sakura jumped away from her best friend and hit her heart's brother on the arm, hard.

"Ow! Damn it, Sakura-chan! Don't you realise your own strength?!" Naruto said and applied pressure to the place where a bruise soon would appear to lessen the pain.

"Then you should think about what you say! God damn it, Naruto! I told you to keep quiet about it!" Sakura sneered, refraining from yelling due to being in a very public place.

"I can't help it! I was drunk!" Naruto had absolutely no habit of being discreet. But he do have the little thing of his to yell even louder when it's not concerning anyone but him.

"Shut it Naruto!" the both females said at once, glaring at him. Now when Sakura had her guard down Ino saw her chance and began dragging her once again. They walked at a faster pace and was soon passing the guards by the gate.

"Hi, Sakura-chan! Where are you going?" Shisui asked as they stopped from their quick walk.

"I'm taking Sakura out to dinner, Shisui-san" Ino said and winked at the Uchiha.

"Oh! I see, just get her back before six, there's a clan meeting and no one will get in afterwards" Shisui briefly returned the wink and waved as the three speeded off.

Before Sakura knew exactly what was going on she found herself seated in an ice-cream bar, much to Naruto's chagrin.

"I want ramen!" he noted to the other blonde.

"Well, we don't! two against one" Ino glared and called for a server. "I'll have chocolate with vanilla cream" she said with a winning smile.

"Got it, and you, sir?" the blue hired pantry man asked.

"Vanilla milkshake" Naruto grumbled while glaring at Ino.

"Of course, and you miss?"

"Licorice with strawberry cream, please. And water" Sakura said after looking at the menu.

The bringer bowed after writing their orders on a note and walked away, leaving the friends in privacy.

"So, now I want to hear all the details" Ino leaned over the table and stared seriously into the doe-like eyes of her best friend, "is he good in bed?"

"Ino!" Sakura yelled before Naruto had the chance to react. The overly innocent looking Yamanaka.

"I was just kidding, but seriously, how is he?" Ino leaned back, the serious look never leaving her face. Her blue eyes shone with upset, worry and a silent promise to beat up a certain Uchiha if her best friends answer would be the wrong one.

"If I ignore the fact that he's my future husband and an Uchiha, he's not that bad. Like Shisui says, he is a perfect gentleman" Sakura said when the desert she ordered was placed in front of her. "But if I include those facts, he's a complete bastard."

Ino took a bite of her ice cream with her spoon and put it in her mouth before answering, "of course he's a bastard, he's related to Sasuke."

Naruto had also began to slurp on his meal. "I would rather see her marry teme than his bastard of a brother" he grumpily said with the straw still in his mouth.

"I would rather not!" Sakura said and wrinkled her nose, Sasuke was like her brother, the thought of him being her husband was a rather disgusting vision. She began eating the flavorful dish in front of her.

"I'll be your maid of honor, right?" Ino asked after a few minutes of silence with sparkles in her eyes.

"Nah, my cousin will" Sakura rolled her eyes at the lack of concern from her friend.

"Aw…"

"Don't talk like you look forward to it!" Naruto immediately said. "Do you want to have Sakura married to who I'm sure is the biggest bastard in Konoha?"

"Well, I'm sure he's not that much of a bastard, but still, she can't get out of this mess even if you want her to" Ino said and took a large portion of the cream that was on her plate.

"And why not?!" Naruto frowned.

"She's a clan heir, you have no idea how little we actually get to control about our personal relationships!" the female blonde hissed and gave a hard stare at the kyuubi container.

Naruto growled something about females and clans before he sank deep into his seat. They enjoyed half a minute of silence before two women began talking in the booth next to theirs.

"I heard that a Haruno is going to marry Uchiha Itachi" one said.

"Really?" another said.

"Yeah, but do you know which Haruno?" the first woman asked.

"It's that bitch Sakura" she said, apparently the other one had shaken her head.

Unaware and blissfully ignorant about the fact that the girl they were talking about was sitting behind her, the woman kept on talking, "I'm sure she slept with the clan elders to get engaged with him. I mean, why the hell would the Uchiha clan allow their prodigy to marry someone without any kind of bloodline or talent?"

Sakura's brow twitched. Not only was she was called a bitch, she was indirectly called useless and weak. Her friends watched in fright how calm she looked about it.

"And I'm sure she's whoring out her body to every other man she comes over to gain power" the first said.

"Yeah, it wouldn't surprise me if she bedded her own family to get money or something. One can really wonder just how she raised in the rankings so fast, we've been in the hospital for as long as her, and we've gotten nowhere--

The woman silenced when the petite medic abruptly stood up, causing the table in front of her to almost fall to the floor if it had not been for Naruto's fast thinking. But she did no care the least, she had two nurses to take care of. She stomped around the large sofa she had been sitting on and saw two of the nurses under her own command staring at her with such shock they looked like does caught in headlights. She recognized the two as Mai and Hizumi.

"H-Haruno-sama, how n-nice--

Sakura's glare told the girl to shut up. "Correct me if I'm wrong, Hizumi-san, but do I see you gossiping when you should be on duty at the hospital, where you should work to raise in the grades?" she asked with a little girls smile and voice. Her actions might be so innocent it can be called sweet, but none of the females had ever heard such a sure promise of bloody death.

"And, if I may, let me tell you that I have money of my own, I don't get them from my family. And about my marriage, I would be more than happy to switch position with you as a failed medic who can do nothing else than to envy others" she then turned to the other girl staring at her. "And just so you don't get anything wrong, Mai-san, you're in just as much trouble as Hizumi-san here."

Without a word, the two girls shot up from their seats and ran out the door. Sakura felt such a strong urge to run after them and leave only a crack in the ground in her wake. She took the purse she had taken with her and threw some money at the table she had previously been sitting at.

"Sakura, where are you going?" Ino yelled after her when she stomped out of the bar.

She did not respond her friend, she just increased her pace to find herself a place to relax, maybe to drink some sake (Tsunade had unavoidably rubbed of her habit of drinking to calm her angry nerves to her student).

She looked around for anyone who might sell that intoxicating liquid this early, but found nothing. When she passed the last place she had hopes in someone called her name. She turned around and caught sight of Mikoto running towards her with Ino in tow.

"Oh my, Sakura-chan… I was just looking for you!" Mikoto said and tried to regain her breath.

"Don't run of like that, forehead!" Ino said and smacked her friend in the back of her head.

"Ow, pig!" the pink haired beauty said angrily.

"Now, now, girls! You should not fight when we are supposed to look at wedding dresses" Mikoto suppressed laughter with great effort at the two bickering girls expressions. Ino had sparkles in her eyes and her cheeks were flustered like a little girls. Sakura, on the other hand, was so comically looking with a twisted face of dislike.

"NO!!!"

-

Sakura was definitely going to kill her parents.

She hated shopping. She hated changing clothes all the time. She hated the fact that she did this for Itachi.

"Ino! I'm not wearing that!" she hissed at her best friend who held a blood red dress that would show more than a fair amount of her chest and legs.

"Fine!" Ino pouted and hung the silky texture back.

"Sakura-chan, how about this one?" Mikoto appeared from behind a rack, holding a white kimono with red obi.

"I don't know… Won't it me hard to walk in it? I don't really like kimonos…" Sakura excused herself, feeling so guilty when the future mother-in-law looked almost disappointed.

"I see, well, it's your wedding" Mikoto said with a smile and went to put the expensive piece of clothing back.

Sakura took a breath of relief, it was no secret to her that Mikoto was like a child when being said no to. She looked around the shop she was standing in, seeing Ino obsessing over lighter clothing than she herself was after. And she could clearly see Mikoto's locks of black in contrast to the white dresses over the many hangers.

She might as well try to find something she liked, as to not crush her childhood dream of marrying in a beautiful dress, and she would pick it herself.

She went over to a clothes-pin and began to look at them. There were many kimonos, in all kinds of colors, but also many western dresses. Some slim and very adoring to the figure, but also more innocent ones and then there was the princess kind with big, fluffy skirts.

After what felt like years and thousands of dresses later she finally found something she liked, very much. It was a white dress with a pattern of red cherry blossoms at the bottom of the skirt and was cut to show everything beneath half her thighs in the front. The top was a strapless corset model, and was tied together at the bottom with a tasteful ribbon. A silver crown with fake rubies ordered as cherry blossoms followed with it. This one was it with big I.

"Mikoto-san, what about this?" Sakura asked enthusiastically. The raven haired woman appeared next to her sons fiancé and studied the dress for a few moments.

"Let's try it on" Mikoto said and went to the cashier and asked to have the dress removed from the doll it sat on. The woman nodded and expertly untied all that needed be so, and stripped the doll.

Ten minutes later Sakura came out of the changing room looking more beautiful than ever. The silk skirt flowed down her body beautifully, showing just how creamy her legs were. The corset pushed up her breasts to a favorable amount. The red stones in her hair made such a stark contrast against her pink locks it looked perfect.

"So, what do you think?" Sakura asked and twirled on her bare feet.

Ino was pretending to faint and Mikoto was squeezing her own face while letting out excited mewls. "It could not be more perfect!" Mikoto squealed and asked the cashier how much it was.

"30 000 yen" the woman said, talking as if they would never afford it.

"Perfect! Sakura-chan, take it of and we will return to the mansion" Mikoto said and followed the cashier to the pay-office.

--

When Sakura finally set foot in the Uchiha compound her head was spinning. Not only had she been forced to try dresses, but Ino had dragged her to the closest lingerie store, making her try corsets, panties and bras. They (namely Ino) had in the end decided for a red lace teddy and matching gathers. How the pink haired girl had agreed to it was beyond herself.

So now she was slowly walking down the main street while carrying five bags with different things the fierce blonde had thought necessary in her new life. Among these there was a bit to daring dresses, a bit to sexy and small underwear and a bit to high heeled shoes. Mikoto had been nowhere in sight to stop the on slaughter of her soon to be daughter-in-law.

If anyone was to bother her she was sure she would go berserk, taking out her inner frustration with her chakra enhanced fists. They would throw her out head first from the compound, and that would be in favor for her, but not her family.

Luckily, the trip down to the main house was peaceful and the tired doctor could take off her shoes and put down the bags. A cold sweat had broken out in her body and she was sporting a headache, probably because her chakra was not fully replenished yet.

She strolled down the way to the kitchen in hope of that Mikoto had made dinner by now.

"This is all your fault!"

The way the sentence was said was so much like Shisui it could be called scary, but the voice did absolutely not his. In fact, it almost sounded like Itachi.

Sakura turned around the corner to stare into the kitchen, and gawked at the scene.

Shisui was sitting surprisingly emotionlessly by the table, having a slight frown of irritation on his face. Itachi, on the other hand, was anything but emotionless, sitting like a kid with crossed arms and a pout. It was as if they had switched personalities.

"If you did not with for this to happen you should not have used the technique, Shisui" wait, why did Shisui way his own name to Itachi?

"You could've given in and let me use the Mind Transferring, damn it!" Itachi burst out on his cousin.

The sight of the swapped minds was to much for the tired Haruno and she immediately burst out in a fit of giggles. It was then the men took notice of her. Itachi stared at her with wide eyes and Shisui sighed. And since Sakura found this even more comical she began laughing like crazy, within seconds she had to take support on the doorframe to keep herself standing and tears were in her eyes. After a few minutes she calmed down, and looked up. That was a mistake and she began to laugh once again.

She soon found herself down on the ground, clutching her stomach in pain and laughter. She had never imagined in her entire life how fun it could be when two so different people changed body. "Oh-oh… D-Dear G-g-g-od!" she whimpered between her heavy breaths.

Itachi, who currently was trapped in his cousins body, was thinking about putting her to sleep with a genjutsu and seal away her memories of this little incident. However, the risk then would be that if she woke up before they changed back she might mistake Shisui for himself.

"Sakura-chan…" Shisui, also in is cousins body, frowned, but then lit up, "oh, oh! Wait a minute…" he waved his hand in that girly manner and took a deep breath. When he put his hand down his face was void of all emotion. "Hn."

Sakura sat for a few seconds just staring at the unbelievably act of the most unlikely Uchiha living, before she fell backwards wriggling and rolling around on the floor while laughing.

"What the…?!" Shisui frowned and crossed his arms again, "she never laugh at you when you do that…"

Itachi turned to his cousin, in his own body, and raised a brow. "I think she has trouble seeing you as me" he smirked when his cousin turned his back at him.

"Damn you for being such a perfect gentleman!"

-

Two hours later Sakura had calmed down enough to be in the same room as the two Uchiha cousins, and the rest of the family too.

"How did this happen?" Mikoto asked worriedly.

Itachi glanced at his older cousin. "Shisui used the Mind Transferring jutsu when we were training, and I used a counter jutsu. Then for some reason it caused our mind to switch" he said when the big idiot refused to explain.

"It was all your fault! You shouldn't have used the counter!" Shisui had no joy in being in his cousins body since he was not allowed to leave the house or to harass Sakura. "I hate you at times, you know that, right?!"

"The feeling is mutual" Itachi said and took a bite of the fried vegetable he held between his chop sticks.

"Damn you!" Shisui began to eat at a faster pace.

"Don't eat so much, my body is not a storage" Itachi hid his smirk when his cousin coughed.

"God damn you!" Shisui said for the hundred time (seriously, Sakura was counting).

"But at least you'll let my body feel good, right? I mean, you have Sakura!" Shisui pointed his sticks at the pink haired angel.

"Shisui, It's rude to point at others" Mikoto said with a frown. She raised her brows when Sakura began to giggle again.

"S-sorry… It's just that…" she trailed of and tried to suppress her amusement. The fun about it all was that it sounded like it was Itachi who was saying such things that Shisui usually said, and that could certainly be called amusing.

Sasuke, who sat beside her (to keep the hands of his cousin away, no matter which body he was in), sighed and glared at his brothers body. He was making suspicious movements with his arm under the table. "Don't try anything, pervert" he said.

"What?! Why would I ever try anything?!" Shisui protested.

"Why wouldn't you?"

"Damn it!"

--

Word count: 5744

It just keep on getting smaller, the chapters I mean. D: I'd like to dedicate this chapter to my friend Dolls… My nickname for her… She doesn't like ItaSaku, but read this boring story anyway because I want her to :D She's more of an angel than I'll ever be…

How can I bully Shisui like that? It's fun, that's the answer xD I simply love him… and as for their swap, it is reversed after a night, if you was itching to know.

And one thing: I HAVE SUMMER BREAK!!!!!!!!!! WWWWOOOOOOOOOOOHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!

Please review, it make me write faster! :D


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter IV**

**Wedding**

The awaited and cursed day had finally arrived. This was the day Sakura's fate would be sealed.

She sat up in her bed, fisting her hand in her own hair in despair. She did not want to get married. She did not want to be an Uchiha. She did not want to be tied to Itachi for the rest of her life. She wanted someone to come and wake her up, if this was only a bad dream. But she knew it was not. The pain in her stomach was far to real, and her tugging at her pink locks was far to real. The fact that by the end of the day, she would be Mrs. Uchiha was far to real.

Last night she had to use a sleeping jutsu on herself to fall asleep, and yet she had slept worriedly. She saw a bit of her reflection in the big wall mirror, and noticed her groggy look. Her skin had no luster, her hair was tangled and the green of her orbs was dimmed by the depression swimming on the surface. Outside the weather was on the other hand as good as it could be, the sun was shining and birds chirped happily as they played with their partner.

A partner they had selected themselves.

Sakura drew her knees up to her chin and bit her bottom lip, soon making it blood red. She was never going to be with someone she choose by her own will. And she was not eager to create a scandal by having a lover, even if Itachi may have one.

At the thought of not being enough made her eyes water. All her life she had been afraid that she would not be enough, that she would let anyone down. That was why she had trained under her father so hard, so that the clan would not look at her and render her useless to them. That was why she had been determined to protect her team, so they would not kick her out because she could not do anything. She was so scared of it that it could be called a phobia.

Her heart speeded up when she thought about that Itachi might have a lover, just because she did not please him. He might even kill her, in order to be with someone who could live up to his standards. She knew that would not happen, but her worried and stressed mind failed to realize that fact.

She felt such a strong rush of fear rush over her that she had to jump up from bed, as if it had been a monster about to eat her. Her small, naked frame shook with so many feelings she had trouble counting them. She was scared, so god damned scared.

She had grayish pale the day before, at the rehearsal. Everything went fine, and she had automatically blurted out her vows, exchanged rings and walked down the isle, not remembering anything afterwards. Itachi, being the perfect gentleman Shisui said he was, had refrained to going closer and touching her more than necessary. He seemed to respect her wish to be free.

She went to her closet and quickly took out some clothes. She dressed in record time and she was soon running down the roka to get to the hall. She was shaking so much she was sure the air around her vibrated. She wanted to leave. She wanted to run away and escape this cruel destiny. But of course, the world would have none of it.

"Sakura-chan? Where are you going at this hour?" Mikoto said from behind the startled girl.

"I-I was j-just…" Sakura trailed off and stepped out of her shoes, she would have no chance of getting away now.

"Are you nervous about today?" Mikoto said with surprisingly much understanding in her voice.

Sakura turned around, and her wide, doe-like eyes stared almost desperately into the eyes of the lady Uchiha. She did not say anything, just nodded and allowed herself to be led to the kitchen. She was sat down at the table, and a plate of dango and onigiri was soon placed in front of her. She did not feel hungry, but she was not about to deny the kind antics of her very-soon-to-be mother-in-law. She took a small bite of one of the rice balls.

"I know you don't feel happy about this" Mikoto's sudden words had today's bride choking, even at the minimum amount of food in her mouth. "You've never been a good liar."

The raven haired woman smiled. She should not be doing that.

"When we talked to the elders about finding a partner for Itachi, they immediately thought of you" the smile became warmer, "at first, I was against it. I knew you would probably not be happy about it, nor Itachi."

"Why not?" Sakura raised a delicate brow, and tilted her head.

"That does not matter at the moment. But I want you to know, Itachi would never do anything to hurt you. So don't go mourning, ok?" Mikoto shoved the brightest smile she could make and stood up. "Ino and Amarante will probably be here soon."

Amarante, Sakura's older cousin by five years, and also one of her best friends. She was the only one who could understand her, because she too had been forced to become engaged with someone she did not love. The heiress of their clan had often wondered why she stayed with him, because they did not love each other.

"_We__'__re great friends, he is a big support to me__"_ was the usual answer, but once it had been different.

"_Because I want to learn to love him.__"_

At least she had the will to go through the entire thing, but Sakura had not.

She had three options to get out. One, kill Itachi. That was not possible. Two, run away from the village. Not possible either, with Mikoto watching her every step. Three, take her own life. Now that sounded appealing. But damn it, Mikoto was a medic too!

"Yu-hu!" the sound of a high pitched voice came from the hall, and soon two women stumbled into the kitchen. "Sakura-chan! Long time no see!" a purple haired girl said. Next to her there was a blonde.

"Amarante!" Sakura said and got to her feet. She hugged her cousin tightly and sobbed. "You haven't contacted me for months!"

Amarante looked wide eyed at her clan heiress, but soon enclosed the smaller girl in her yukata clad embrace. "Sorry, Saku-chan" she said and kissed the top of her pink looks.

"Ok, enough with the sensitivity! Let's get started instead!" Ino, who was very bad at handling tense atmospheres, cheered and was immediately supported by the other women who would not get married that day.

The worked up females began dragging the poor bride into a room, which Mikoto had prepared to be only theirs for the rest of the day. It consisted of tatami mats, a low table with a tall mirror was placed against the right wall, and the wedding dress and maid dresses stood on the opposite wall. Across from the door there was a giant box, probably full of makeup and jewelry. "Sit down over there, Sakura-chan!" the already Uchiha said and went to open the box, indeed revealing lots and lots of make up and everything an ordinary girl could dream of.

Amarante helped her cousin to sit down and began to brush her long pink locks. "Wow… I'm so jealous of your hair Saku-chan! It's said only one every hundred year is born with pink hair in our clan, and that those will be the finest ninja" the twenty-three year old woman said dreamily. "I'm sure you will be able to give more than others too…"

Sakura turned her head and looked questionably at the woman. "'Give more than others'?" she asked and squinted her eyes.

"Eh?" Amarante looked like a question mark, but then waved her hand and laughed nervously. "Oh, I just meant… eh… Love! Yeah! You're probably able to give more love than others! A ha ha ha…" she sure was the worst liar in the entire Haruno clan, if not in Konoha.

"Amarante, you lie terribly" Sakura pointed out the fact.

The said girl stilled for a moment, but then lowered her head in defeat. "No way…" dear god, would she be a perfect fit for Shisui or what? To bad she already is engaged.

"I'm going to wake up Itachi, I'll be back in a minute" Mikoto said and walked out the door, closing it after her.

By the box with make up Ino squealed, making the two Haruno jump. "What are you doing, pig?" Sakura asked, stifling giggles from the sight of the Yamanaka mirroring herself in a pocket mirror and pouting with her lips.

"Don't call me pig, forehead" at the comment, both flower named girls twitched, their clan was quite sensitive when it came to insulting one of their own and their natural appearance or ability, none the less when the insulted was the heir.

"Ino-san, could you please go and get some water?" Amarante asked, hiding her annoyance well.

"Sure" Ino said, not noticing the evil aura rolling of her best friend. It was one thing to say her nickname when they were by themselves, but when a clans woman was with them? That is another thing entirely.

"I'm actually surprised these two latest generations has been so good friends, our clans have always fought" Amarante said and began massaging her cousins tense shoulders.

"Mhmm…?" Sakura moaned, "you're a pro at this."

"Why thank you, Saku-chan, it warms" the older of the two said, laughing slightly.

"And then I told him-Ah! Amarante-chan! Sakura-chan!" the voice of no other but The Shisui came from the door, and Ino came with him.

"Shisui-kun, how nice to see you" Amarante smiled brightly at the Uchiha. "You came to help Itachi-kun prepare?" she asked her team mate. They had been on the same ANBU team for two years soon, and had come to become very good friends (and Sakura had a vague hint it was more than that).

"Yes, and to visit Sakura-chan here. But I didn't know you'd come back, weren't you in Sand with that, oh, what's his name…" Shisui raised his gaze to stare at the ceiling.

Amarante laughed. "I couldn't miss my cute cousins wedding, now could I? And his name is Josh, he's still in Sand, he had some unfinished business" she said, smiling at him.

"Oh, yeah! His name isn't Japanese, so I don't remember it well. Sure it's illegal though…" the first part was loud and clear (but such a lie) but the last was mumbled only to himself.

"What am I hearing? Uchiha Shisui is jealous?" Sakura asked a bit to loudly, blinking a bit to innocently.

"Who said anything about jealous?" Shisui asked far to quickly, the smallest of blushes appearing on his cheeks.

"We and our womanly insight did" Ino said, poking the back of his head.

Shisui snorted. "Womanly insight my ass" he said and walked out, but stopped just as he disappeared out of the room. "I can't wait to see you all out of such pretty dresses!" he said, his head visible through the opening of the sliding door, a wide grin spreading on his face.

"Get out of here, you pervert!" Amarante said and stuck her tongue out.

"Who, me?" Shisui said as a parting line.

"Did he cause trouble, girls?" Mikoto asked as she set foot on the tatami mats.

"God damn it, baa-chan!" the voice of the unlikely Uchiha was a little distant, but not enough to fool the girls.

"Here's the water Ama-san" Ino smirked and handed the purple haired woman the glass.

"Thanks" she said and drank quickly. "My skin gets so dry when I'm in to much heat for to long."

"To bad you're taken" the blonde said and made the Haruno choke on a sip she had taken.

"W-What?" Amarante asked and coughed.

"Aw, don't pretend that you don't know what I'm talking about! You like him, don't you?" the Yamanaka said and smirked.

"W-We're just team mates!" the woman said.

"Team mates in life and marriage!" Sakura teased.

"I'm engaged!" Amarante yelled at them, pleading Mikoto for support.

"That's a shame… It certainly is…" the black haired woman sighed worriedly.

"Argh!"

-

"Yo, Ita-chan!" Shisui opened the door to his cousins room, the small blush still on his cheeks.

"I see Amarante is back" Itachi smirked when the second most skilled Uchiha got cheeks which could be compared to his eyes.

"How would you know?!"

"She is the only woman except your mother with baby pictures that can make you blush" wait, did Itachi, the most serious and emotionless Uchiha in the world just crack a joke?!

"She is not! And why pull my mother into this?!" poor Shisui was looking like a tomato.

"She is, because she is the only woman you love. And I did not intend to involve your mother" Itachi smirked at his cousin, "you should take today as a chance to show our clan your intentions."

"I'm not gonna court my mother!" Shisui got such a twisted face Itachi had to laugh.

"You really are as stupid as you look."

"Bastard!"

-

"How do you want your hair, Saku-chan?" Amarante asked and got out combs, curling and straightening irons and hairspray.

"I don't know… Maybe in a bun?" Sakura suggested, getting Ino's silent approval.

"Would you girls like to have anything to eat? I was just thinking the boys must be hungry by now" Mikoto asked. It was nearing 11 o'clock and Sakura had just gotten out of a heavenly body massage and face mask. She had almost hoped one of the Uchiha males had walked in, they surely would have run away crying from the scene.

"I'd love to. I'm starving" Ino said, putting her hair in a lazy ponytail.

"Ok, wait here then, I'll go get something" Mikoto smiled and got out of the room.

But she had barely had the time to remove herself from the room before she heard loud wailing coming from the other side of the roka. "Baaaaaaaaaa-chaaaaaan! We're hungry!" Shisui whined.

"Don't put us in the same category as you, fat ass" the voice of Sasuke came soon after and a smack was heard.

"Ow, you brat! What the hell was that for?! AH!" The girls did not feel too good when the sound of both Shisui's voice and feet came gradually closer, they were after all just clad in thin and short yukatas.

"Hn" Sasuke was being the good Uchiha he had been brought up to be.

"AH!!" Shisui tumbled down to the wooden surface outside the girls room, quickly sitting up and rubbing his head. "Don't throw kunai at me you…" his voice trailed off when he saw the rich amount of creamy woman flesh in front of him. Would anyone be surprised if his eyes rapidly settled on the body of a purple haired Haruno?

"SHISUI!!!" they shrieked at the same time and Ino shut the door in record time.

"Get away you sick freak!" the blonde shouted.

"Ino-chan! Open up and let me escape this evil devil that… oh, hi, Ita-chan!"

"I ask you to get water, and you end up causing a tumult. I really wonder why I can't throw you out of the compound" Itachi said and helped his cousin of the ground. "Sorry about that ladies."

"No, problem, Itachi-kun" Amarante said and giggled when she heard Shisui trying to explain it was all Sasuke's fault.

"Aw… Did you see how his eyes were glued to her, Sakura?" Ino asked dreamily.

"I did, I wonder how we will keep him from kidnapping her tonight" Sakura was happy she got a reason to take her thoughts of her own problems for a while, even if it was to tease her cousin.

"W-what are you talking about?!" Amarante blushed a deep crimson red. Her cousin could really understand why Shisui liked her. She was kind, patient, skilled as a shinobi and very mommy-like. They really had to try and break that engagement.

-

It was only an hour left.

Only one hour left in freedom. Only one hour left until she was going to walk down the isle and say 'yes' when the priest ask her if she will take Uchiha Itachi as her beloved husband. It was only one hour left until she was forced to have the positive answer.

Sakura stared at her reflection. She wore her dress, silver bracelet with a white ring hanging from it, and the cross around her neck. The black cross with two rings hanging from the bottom and a real ruby in the centre made stark contrast against her fair skin, but matched perfectly with her clothing. She had not gotten make up on yet, Amarante and Ino was going to go and get their dresses on first.

"Saku-chan, I'll be back soon, and start on your make up. Don't move or I'll kick you" the purple haired woman said and winked at her cousin before walking out the door.

"Yeah, be careful to not mess the hair up!" Ino threatened before she followed the bride's maid.

"Sure!" Sakura rolled her eyes dramatically.

When the door slid shut the pink haired female looked back at the reflection of herself. "If only I could move" she said to herself and shifted her position. She was not feeling nearly as comfortable as she usually did. Even if her red teddy was not wrapped tightly against her small body, it was to tight to put an old shinobi at ease. She was glad the front was showing her legs at least, it made her feel at least a tiny bit more free.

Did she just think free?

Who was she kidding? She was not free. Free is when you have the right to go and choose yourself. Free is when you can do what ever you want. Free was when you could decide yourself who was going to spend the rest of their life by your side.

Sakura was not free. She was tied with an invisible chain to the hands of the Uchiha clan. She was trapped within the embrace of Uchiha Itachi, and she was never to get out. She would never be able to choose who would be the father of her children. She would never be able to choose who to blame when the house was a total mess. She was not able to choose who would sleep next to her every night. She was not able to choose what name would be written on her grave stone when she died.

Warm and fresh tears began rolling down her cheeks, but she did not care to try and dry them away, because for once, she thought she had the right to cry.

The salty drops fell down onto her thighs, but rolled of the stay ups she had on, leaving a glittering track. Sobs came from her mouth, and she finally gave in to the feeling of being utterly shattered. She placed her arms on the table in front of her and laid her forehead on them.

"Curse you… You damn Uchiha's!" she hissed with a low and shaky voice. She was sure no one heard.

But the person who wanted to hear it the least did.

"You are so right, Sakura…"

-

Only moments until those doors would open.

When those doors opened she would have absolutely no chance of running away, because then her own clan and friends, along with the entire Uchiha clan, would see her and chase her down no matter what the cost.

When those doors opened she would be walking down the road to her new, cursed future. And she would be walking it with her mother, who thought it was the road down to a happily ever after. It was not.

The bride's maids Ino and Amarante stood in front of her together with Itachi's groomsmen Shisui and Sasuke (she must say they looked handsome in suits). The blonde would be walking with her team mate, and her cousin with the unlikely Uchiha, which could be called a fortunate match. To her own arm her mother was hooked. She had said she wanted to walk her daughter down the isle, as one of her last opportunities to be like a normal human before the cancer took too much of her strength.

"Are you nervous?" Mikaru asked her daughter. What kind of question was that?

Sakura could barely hear the words because her heart was beating so strong. It was fast too. Only once had she felt such a powerful rush of fear, and that was when she had looked into the eyes of the snake sannin, it had paralyzed her, much like now.

She nodded curtly.

"Don't worry, it'll be fine" the current lady Haruno whispered. How the hell would it be fine?

She was about to start walking towards her own personal prison!

The cathedrals bells began chiming, and Amarante threw one last worried, but encouraging, look over her shoulder at her beloved cousin before she faced the doors which slowly slid open. She unconsciously held on tighter to Shisui's arm when they began walking and all eyes turned to them. The girls were glad their dresses covered everything from their breasts down to their calves. The white fairy dresses flowed beautifully along as they walked (now Shisui wished he was walking with Ino, behind the Haruno).

When they took their positions, the boys next to Itachi and the girls next to the place where Sakura soon would be standing.

Everyone in the giant church stood up when the Bridal March began playing on the organ. The sound was almost enough to make the furious beating of Sakura's heart die out in her ears. She felt a slight tug at her arm, and she automatically began walking, sporting a calm face. Her mind was blank, she only did what they had done on the rehearsals the day before, everything playing up as a series of commands in her pink head.

When she stopped at the base of the steps to kiss her mothers cheeks her thoughts finally began working after being in a trance like state. She stood and gazed up into her mother's eyes. She swallowed hard and looked pleadingly into those wise blue eyes, but nothing was revealed. She squeezed the flowers in her left hand so hard she was surprised that the water was not running out of them yet. Before she knew what was happening she found herself in the warm embrace of the woman who gave her life.

"I hope you will be happy, Sakura-chan" Mikaru said and kissed her daughters forehead. "Because I'm sure that's all Itachi want too" she whispered before looking at the small girl in her arms. Her blue eyes brimmed with tears and she was smiling, wishing her all the luck in the world.

"Thank you, kaa-chan" Sakura said, her voice nearly cracking at the end. But she stayed strong. A sudden pang of guilt came over her. This may be her mothers last request, for her to have a good wedding. There was no helping when the petite bride put on her mask, as a last gift to her mother. "I'll try."

After she said that she slipped out of the warm and comforting embrace to look up against Tsunade and Itachi. The Hokage had even bothered to dress up in a green kimono today, not something that happened every day. When her eyes slid over to her groom, her breath caught in her throat. She would be lying if she said he did not look good. (_Screw good, he__'__s freaking hot!_ Inner Sakura made her first appearance that day, and was as usual not helpful in any way.) The black suit fit his figure perfectly, and the red bow-tie marked his dark eyes handsomely. Although the fact that the lines under his eyes (which for some reason looked good on him) had become bigger since last time she saw him did not escape her.

With great effort she held up the smile, and missed the worried and slightly panicked look she got from her cousin. She stood proudly before her very soon to be life partner and looked up in his eyes, refusing to show the desperation which should be swimming at the surface of those brilliant orbs. Soon she lowered her gaze and waited for her mentor to speak.

"Dearly beloved…" _yeah, right. You__'__re not happier about this than I am, shisou, _"we are gathered here today to unite Haruno Sakura and Uchiha Itachi in an eternal bound" and so the entire thing went on. All the while Sakura was shaking and biting her tongue to keep herself from fainting. She was sure Itachi saw her uncertainty, but he did not seem to pay more thought to it than he had left complaints about the marriage.

"If anyone has any objection against this may them speak now or be silent forever" Tsunade threw a warning glance against Naruto and Lee, who both had quite a lot to say against this thing. Not that any other did not, just that they had the common sense to know that was just a phrase.

"If there is no objections, let us then continue" the busty blonde threw yet another glare against the knucklehead ninja and the green wonder with a teachers complex, daring them to even lift a finger. She waved her hand and two small girls came forward, one with lavender hair from the Haruno clan, and one with jet black hair from the Uchiha clan, they helped each other carrying a pillow with two silver rings on it. The Hokage who served as priest for the time being took the rings and motioned for the bride and groom to raise their hands.

"Do you, Uchiha Itachi, take Haruno Sakura as your lawfully wedded wife to stand by in both time of need and health for as long as you both shall live?" Tsunade asked the raven haired male, giving him a well concealed glare. She would kick his sorry (but pretty) ass if he was to say yes and not keep the god damned promise!

"I do" Itachi looked so sincere when he answered that anyone would find it hard to believe.

"Then, do you, Haruno Sakura, take Uchiha Itachi as your lawfully wedded husband to stand by in both time of need and health for as long as you both shall live?" Tsunade gave her former student a look that told her she would never be turned away, no matter what choice she made.

This was it. This was were she sealed her fate forever.

"I do" she surprised herself with how easily the words slipped past her lips, as if they were something you said every day.

The whole cathedral breathed a sigh of relief when she uttered the words.

"Then, take these rings as a proof of your promise" Tsunade laid the smaller one of the rings she was holding in the outstretched palm of Itachi. "Itachi, repeat after me… With this ring, I thee wed."

"With this ring I thee wed," he gently and carefully took hold of her left wrist, lifted it and smoothly slid the ring onto her finger.

Now Sakura raised her right hand and got a ring placed in her soft palm. "Sakura, repeat after me… With this ring, I thee wed."

"With this ring, I thee wed" the pink haired medic said and took her within seconds husband's arm and placed the silver ring on his finger. She did not let go of his hand, but was rather relieved when he took hold of hers instead.

"I now present you as man and wife. You may kiss the bride" Tsunade said, closing the book she held in her palm (although it was only for symbolism).

Sakura had totally forgot about that part. Now she did not even have the time to complain about it, because her new and fresh husband was just leaning down to place his lips gently on hers. It was not her first kiss (that's impossible for a kunoichi her age), but it was the first which could be called a real kiss. Every other man she had kissed on her seductive missions were so god damned aggressive they care squat if she felt good or not. That was not what she could say about this. The careful and seductive touch made a tingle run down her spine despise herself.

Only seconds later he raised his head, a small smile on his face, making her eyes widen involuntarily. It made him look so very handsome she was sure she would be unable to talk if he asked her anything.

Bells began to once again chime and now the small orchestra that was placed in one of the corners of the church started to play a beautiful piece which Sakura did not bother to remember. She automatically hooked her arm with his and began walking down the isle once again, leaving the cathedral as Uchiha Sakura.

-

The reception followed, and when the newly wedded had accepted all blessings (and utterly serious promises of a bloody, slow and painful death if anything was to happen to the former Haruno) the party moved into a large garden, which usually served as the training ground of the Uchiha clan. The field had not been used the latest week, as to let the ground repair from all burns and other things. The trees were beautiful, standing in their fullest pink bloom.

One long table was set up in the front, and three others in front of it. Sakura let herself get dragged up to the chairs in the absolute middle of the table which faced the others. She quietly sat down without objection, waiting nervously as the tables filled with hungry and excited guests. Soon the bridesmaids and groomsmen settled at either side of the bride and groom.

"Saku-chan, you were beautiful! You too, Itachi-kun, even though I would rather say handsome" Amarante smiled and hugged her cousin.

"Yeah, I was damn jealous of you, Ita-chan! Not to think of what's coming tonight…" Shisui sighed dramatically.

"Don't say such perverted things in front of me, idiot" Sasuke smacked the top of his older cousins head.

"Ow, don't do that, brat!"

"It's unbelievable that there was 300 000 sperms in your mothers womb, and _you_ were the fastest…" Sasuke said, rubbing the bridge of his nose.

"Why the hell do you guys always involve my mother in things?!"

"I didn't involve her, I involved every other person who might have been able to sit here instead of you, who I happen find very annoying!" the bastard of team 7 snapped at his skilled senior.

"Curse you, pipsqueak!" Shisui said, turning to his best friend instead. "Shit, I'm trapped! You planned this in some way, didn't you?!" he accused the longhaired man he called a perfect gentleman.

"I do not recall I did, but if I knew I was going to witness this kind of conversation, I would have in any case" Itachi smirked.

"Argh! Amarante-chan, save me!" the unlikely Uchiha cried in desperation.

"Sorry, no can do, Shisui-kun" Amarante snickered when her team mate faked to be crying.

"And here I thought I was loved!" he said drastically.

Sakura nudged her cousin in the side which caused her to blush. "I think he is…" she giggled.

"S-shut up…" Amarante whispered and threw a glance against where Shisui was now arguing with Sasuke again.

"Then if you're such a man I challenge you!" the ANBU declared loudly, a bit to loudly.

From the table where most under the age of thirty and above twelve sat there was a loud cheer, urging the two Uchiha to fight. Naruto and an Uchiha named Kyo together with a Haruno named Hatori made especially much sound around themselves. Amazing, there is one more from the fire wielding clan who can make more noise than a hairdryer.

"Boys, settle down, you can take that later if you wish" Mikoto said sternly, giving her son and nephew a hard glare.

"Sorry, Mikoto-baa-chan…" Shisui sat down, and Sasuke followed suit.

"Now," Agito cleared his throat and the area became silent, "we are all gathered here today, as you know, to celebrate the union of the Uchiha clan and Haruno clan…" loud cheers followed the sentence, "but also to celebrate the union of two people. My own little girl, Sakura, and the powerful ANBU Itachi. I wish them be best of luck and happiness in their future."

Agito brought his glass up high, "to Itachi and Sakura" he said and took a small sip.

"To Itachi and Sakura!" the clan's men cheered and also took sips of their glasses, which had already been filled up.

When Agito sat down, Shisui quickly stood up. "Well, I don't know if I'm supposed to do this, but I'll do it anyway. This week has been stressful to all of us, not the least Itachi who was to cheeky to select a suit…" low chuckles sounded and the clan heir smirked, "and Sakura, who has been helping with all the preparations and such" he made a pause, thinking about what to say. "I'm honored to have her as my future first lady, and I mean it when I say that the elders finally made a smart move and paired these lovely dove-like people together."

He took his glass and raised it. "Let us just hope little Uchiha babies won't be ready to kick our wits out of us by the end of the year" almost the entire field smirked, but Sakura forgot, because the unlikely man had been smart enough to refrain from using inappropriate words such as butt, ass and other not so beautiful expressions, "to Sakura, Itachi and our future heirs!"

The crowd cheered so loudly anyone in Konoha could hear them. It was clear that the Haruno were a more easy going clan, even their elders cheered. It was not longer then a few hours later that all children and elder lings had left and the teenagers were left to drink and play games. This was the perfect time for Shisui to take out his revenge on Sasuke.

"I challenge you on truth or dare!"

"Whatever, bastard!" the waisted Sasuke yelled back.

"I dare you to…" the drunk man was interrupted

"I begin! I dare you to make out with Amarante!" the chicken-ass haired boy cried drunkenly, earning wolf calls and whistles from several men watching their fight.

"With pleasure!" Shisui twirled around and looked for the woman, and even with his confused eyesight he saw her and threw an arm around her. "Prepare for the make out of your life!"

Amarante, who had not been drinking quite as much as the male holding her widened her eyes. "Shisui-kun, what are you…" she was rudely interrupted by his mouth, which crashed down on hers. Applauses erupted from all people around them when he forced his tongue past her lips. Everyone saw the way she at first was to shocked to do anything, but after a short moment she began responding him full out--her senses dimmed by alcohol.

After a good five minutes the furious kissing ended and Shisui looked to his younger cousin. "How 'bout that, huh?! Now, I dare 'uo to kiss Uzumaki!"

"Anyone said my name?!"

In the amazing moment that followed when Sasuke kissed his team mate on the lips (thank god everyone was so drunk they would not remember anything of it in the morning) the two people they were having the party for discreetly fled the scene, withdrawing towards their own house.

Sakura walked a good meter away from her new husband, trying to warm her exposed arms in the dark and damp night. She was thankful that at least the ground was hard enough to walk with heels on, because she had no wish to walk in cold grass with only stay ups. It felt like an eternity until they had reached the door of their new home and could walk inside the comfortable warmth.

Without a word Sakura walked down the hall and up the staircase to undress from her lovely dress. Right now she felt frustrated. Frustrated of the fact that everyone thought it was alright between her and Itachi, especially after Shisui's little speech. How could he lie like that? They were not going to have 'little Uchiha babies'! Never!

She stood in front of the mirror, glaring at her reflection. She heard Itachi's steps in the stairs, and he was soon to enter the room.

She did not pay him any mind when she began undressing. Her fingers slowly slid down the zipper on the back of her dress, and unhooked the little security hook at the top of it. She held the material as she let it fall to her knees. She stepped out of her silver stilettos at the same time as the dress. She held it up high and went over to the wardrobe which was situated next to the bathroom door. She took out a hanger and secured the dress to it with the extra straps on the inside of it and hung it back. Then she went to the stilettos and picked them up. She put them under her dress.

Then she went to the beautiful oak desk next to the balcony door and took off the diadem and placed it in a velvet box. She glanced at the mirror, and noticed that Itachi was sitting on the bed, only clothing visible was the shirt (which was unbuttoned) and boxers. She swallowed hard, and she sent a silent pray to that god he was not going to try anything. She reached up and removed the long pin that kept her hair in its bun, and gently shook her head as the pink locks swayed down her back.

She was happily unaware of what her actions were doing to the male behind her. His eyes were discreetly glued to her beautiful form as she took care of her cherry blossom tresses. The way it fell around her figure and empathized her long legs made him want to stroke it, smell it and curl his fingers into it.

He greedily remembered every aspect of her that night. The creaminess of her pale skin, the moonlight shining upon her hair, the most arousing sight of the gathers over her round hips and the way the teddy empathized all her female qualities. He quickly turned his head away when she turned to walk against the bed.

Sakura raised the sheets and quickly got beneath them, hiding her scared expression from her husband. Her heart was beating as if it wanted to rip through her ribcage and run away. She felt her body shake slightly, fearing that the kind and gentleman-like man behind her would suddenly drop to the level of any other man. Her eyes closed tightly when she noticed he was also getting beneath the sheets on the other side of the bed.

"You do not need to worry, I won't do anything" he said tiredly, his back facing her.

Sakura took a peek over her shoulder and saw that he was holding a respectful distance so that both of them had room to turn and twist without problem. Both of them had refrained from drinking such an amount that would make them intoxicated, so at least he was not going on any drunken adventures.

She laid stiff as a stick for several hours, and not until the sun was coloring the horizon in peachy colors she dared to relax as much as possible and close her eyes to let sleep engulf her senses.

---

Word count: 6 687

This chapter went quick.

So, what do you think? I've never been to a wedding, so don't blame me if it's all wrong! Tell me, do you like Amarante (she's from Itachi's memo, so if you like her, read it!)? I do… I think she makes a cute couple with Shisui ^^

Was there anything else I was going to say? No… Oh, yes!

My birthday was yeasterday, so this is a personal gift to myself!

Review and I will write faster :D


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter V**

**Three steps**

Dark lashes fluttered open, irritated by the light flowing through the window. Itachi raised his hand and sheltered his eyes with shadow from the burning sun. He groaned, he had never been a morning person. But then his body tensed, when he realized there was a chakra signature behind him. Immediately he turned his head and stared at the pink haired woman laying there.

She had obviously turned in her sleep, he knew because he had fallen asleep after her, since she was facing him, sleeping heavily on the other side of the bed. The long pink hair laid around her like a coat, urging him to touch it. His fingers reached out and took one of the tresses between them and brought it to his lips. He kissed the lock and breathed in the scent. This was what he enjoyed the most. To just watch her sleeping and peaceful face, like he had done many times before.

In the latest eighteen years he had guarded her like a hawk watch its nest. If anyone came to close he would scare them away, by any means necessary. He had approached her at a number of occasions, but never as himself. He had carefully transformed himself into boys her age or people older than himself. He wanted to watch her from the shadows, that way he could keep the suspicions down.

He glanced at the clock which was placed at the nightstand, it showed ten o'clock. He had to get up and go to his office at the ANBU headquarters, his desk would probably be covered by papers that needed to be signed. Being an ANBU captain sure was though.

But before he even made an attempt at getting up he leaned down until his lips hovered by her angelic face. He gently placed a kiss on her forehead, lingering there for a few seconds, before he retreated and sat up. _She's beautiful…_ the thought slipped into his mind before he could stop himself. With a wry smile he got up and padded over to the wardrobe to look for some clothing.

He found a black Uchiha shirt and black baggy pants, his usual attire. He took a pair of clean boxers and went into the bathroom. He put the clothes on the sink and took of his underwear and laid then in the laundry. He showed his fingers through his dark hair and went to the shower. When he closed the slide door he immediately turned on the water and let the warm liquid wash his body. He was glad his mother had arranged for all their things to be moved to this house during yesterdays wedding, it would be hell if there was no hair conditioner (he would never admit it, but he took well care of his hair).

In the bedroom Sakura was slowly beginning to stir, slowly dragged to consciousness. Her eyelids fluttered open, and squinted against the sunlit window. It took her a few moments to figure out just why there was a window in her room, since there had not been one in the main house, and why she was laying in a king sized bed. She remembered the day before, and groaned. The Uchiha bastard had woken up before her and now he had made her do so too. Sakura usually was a morning person, but she had no wish to get up when she knew it was to see her new life.

Right now she just wanted to get to the hospital and burry herself in work, even if Tsunade had told her to take the day off. She laid still for several minutes, listening to the shower running, waiting for her _wonderful_ husband to get out of the house. Only five minutes later the water stopped running and soon after Itachi walked out, thankfully in full attire.

"I'm going to headquarters. I probably won't be back until late tonight" he informed her, and shut the door after him. Not until she heard his feet in the hall did she dare to move and uncover herself from under the covers.

She sat up and felt the lingerie strain against her body. She stood up and looked at herself in the mirror, and was rather amazed by the fact that Itachi had indeed refrained from taking advantage of her during the night, any other man (especially another certain Uchiha) would surely have tried something. The fact that he had kept his promise and not do anything had her feel somewhat embarrassed, making her blush slightly. She said to herself it was because he had defied her woman charm, taking it as an insult. Ok, maybe she felt a little special. Only a little.

She went over to the wardrobe and searched for her work suit. It was rare she wore the white one-piece, but today she felt like it. She took a pair of clean underwear and went into the bathroom. The room was warm with steam from the last shower. She went over to the sink and looked at herself in the mirror. Damn, she looked like she really had slept with the long haired male. Her hair was messy, and the eyeliner around her eyes was making dark rings beneath them.

She rubbed her head in an annoyed manner before she began undressing. The zipper on the teddy easily went down and she loosened the gathers from the stockings they held up. She stepped out of the offending material and then proceeded to roll off the nylon that covered her legs. Once she was done she threw the fabrics in the laundry. She noticed Itachi had cleaned up well after him, since the floor was dry.

She got into the shower and noticed it was bigger than most she had showered in. Shisui would probably put it the way that she and her husband would be able to go into any position without a problem. He would always have a perverted answer, no matter what the situation may be.

She turned the knob, and a chill ran through her when the water hit her body. It had cooled off, and it took a moment or two for it to gain the heat she wished for. She grabbed her shampoo and put some in her hair. No matter how childish Ino might say it is, Sakura still loved to play with the foam.

It took her twenty minutes to wash up and get dressed, doing it as slowly as possible to avoid any kind of contact with Itachi. She buttoned the medic uniform and noticed it had become a bit to tight around her chest area. _They must've gotten bigger…_ she thought absently, it had been almost a year since she wore this.

_And I__'m sure Itachi will love them!_

_Shut up! You can never use your mouth when I need help!_

Inner Sakura got silent, not having anything to backfire with. Feeling content with herself Sakura started brushing her hair. It was still wet, she rarely dried her hair with a dryer, it made such damage to her sensitive tresses. When she was satisfied she walked out of the bathroom, and headed down towards the kitchen. She did not feel any presence in the house, so she walked without restraint.

Well in the kitchenette she took out cereals, milk and an apple, serving as her breakfast. As she began eating, she thought of all the work that was to come. Her desk would probably be stuffed with work, and she would have to visit all her patients. That included those in the mental ward.

Suddenly she remembered something; the ANBU headquarters were situated right beside the hospital.

"NO!!!"

-

"Ha-Uchiha-sensei" Sakura twitched and looked up from the papers in front of her, sporting a smile.

"Oh, hello Seiyo-san" she said, "was there anything special?" she put down the pen in her hand and leaned back in her chair.

"Yes, I came here to have a check on Momo, she has been having an awful cough. The nurse told me to go and get you" the longhaired Hyuuga said. It sure was a pain to be the most skilled medic that every clan demanded to heal them, even though she was the Uchiha's family doctor. This probably had something to do with that the two clans had fought for a long time and wanted everything the other had. Curse proud and incestuous families. In those categories, her own was not included…

"Of course, bring her in" Sakura smiled and got up, stretching her muscles. She watched the little brown haired and coughing girl enter her office, holding a hand in front of her mouth. She got a stethoscope from a drawer and put it around her neck. "Hello Momo-chan, how are you feeling?"

The girl coughed before she answered. "I have a sore throat and I cough a lot. I don't feel well" Momo said in a rather stuck-up manner.

"Of course. Will you turn around for me?" the doctor cursed the Hyuuga's for turning their little ones into snobs. She set the head of the stethoscope against the ribcage of the girl, listening to her raged breathing. "She has irritated mucous membranes, I'll give you a recipe" she stood up from her crunching position and went over to her desk. She got out the medicine notes and scribbled down a few words and her name. "Give it to her two times a day and she would be healthy in no time. Also, refrain from dry food for a few weeks, so that the problem does not flare up again."

Seiyo took the note and bowed, thanking the woman. His daughter followed suit and waved as they walked out. "Bye bye, Uchiha-sensei!" when the door shut Sakura bit her lip in irritation.

Uchiha-sensei this, Uchiha-sensei that! She sure was getting tired of her new name already. No, it was just that she was not used to it yet. _Wait, did I just admit I didn't mind that name?!_

With an annoyed groan she sat down and began reading through the last papers. It was about the workers salary. An evil smirk came to her lips and she looked for the names of Hizumi and Mai. She saw they had signed in for their entire shifts, but since Sakura knew that was not true she took away two hours from them each, for every day that month.

After taking out her revenge Sakura stretched her arms over her desk like a cat. Then she happily tiptoed over the floor to her door and opened it. She walked out and went to see her patients. It was already nearing nightfall when she visited her mother.

"Oh, Sakura-chan! I'm so happy you're here!" Mikaru said happily. "How was your first night together?"

Sakura gasped at her mothers sudden outburst, she was sounding like Ino and Shisui! "Kaa-chan!"

"I was only kidding, darling. But how is he, have behaved like a good boy?" the Haruno asked.

"As good of a boy he now is…" Sakura said sarcastically, snorting.

"He didn't do anything to force himself on you, did he?" Mikaru was dead serious, all joking gone from her voice.

Sakura looked at her mother for a minute before she blushed and turned to fill the chart. "No… He said he wouldn't do anything…" she mumbled, scribbling down something on the paper in a furious speed.

"Sounds just like him" Mikaru mused, sinking down in her bed contentedly, a satisfied smile on her face.

"Huh?" her daughter raised a brow at her mother.

"Oh, nothing" the older woman glanced at the younger one, "Sakura-chan, tell me, do you know the three steps to love?"

"What's all this all of a sudden?" Sakura sighed, but shook her head non the less.

"Then I'll tell you. First it's anger, as you know they say love starts with fights. Second is denial, you try to convince yourself you are not in love in anyone or care about them in the slightest. And third is acceptance. Then you can slowly admit to yourself you do feel special and loved, and that you do love the person in question" the Haruno smiled when she seemed to hit a spot in her daughters brain.

Sakura's heart skipped a beat. That was exactly what had happened to her. At first she had been so angry at him she did not stand to see him, then she had denied she actually was worried for his wellbeing on his mission and just this morning she did feel a bit special when she realized that she was quite flattered by the elder Uchiha. But no, she could not be in love, things were going far to fast for that! At least, that is what she thought. As inexperienced in love as she was (the crush in Sasuke was only an infatuation) she had no real right to say she was not in love with the Uchiha, not that she would admit it to herself, but anyway…

"Oh? So love at first sight doesn't exist?" Sakura raised an arrogant brow.

"Unless you are a child, no."

"What do you mean by that?" the petite kunoichi frowned.

"No one but a child can fall in love at first sight" Mikaru said as the wise person she was.

"And that means?" Sakura persuaded.

"If you are a child, you do not prejudge people. When you grow up you instantly tries to find flaws in another person. So, the only thing that can exist between two grown up are attraction at first sight, like when you see a very handsome man" the sick woman closed her eyes and laid her head back.

"So it wasn't love at first sight between you and too-chan?" the Uchiha asked.

"No. You should have seen me the first time I met him! I was glaring at him like he was an annoying kid. The moment we got alone together I began to scream at him and tell him all of this was all his fault" Mikaru laughed, "you can't blame him for your bad temper."

"Oh, yeah?"

"No, when I was done scolding him he took my hand and squeezed it and said 'I'm sorry, but since we can't get out of this, let's make the best of it, ok?'" the purple haired woman smiled, "he was a bit distant at first, probably a bit scared by me, but soon he became very persuasive for my love."

"At least he did that…" Sakura sighed.

"Uchiha-sensei!" the voice of Casella came from the door before it was thrown open. "An ANBU have just been brought in and is in a critical condition!" the panicked girl shouted and waved for her senior to follow her.

-

Itachi rubbed his head, trying to soothe the growing headache he was getting. The papers just kept on coming, no matter how many he read through or signed. It was at times like these he wished he had never gone to the ninja academy.

Most documents contained persuasions for new weapons or days off. But then there was the political and financial papers, those took most time. He had to look over the budget, and the loss of members and such. The poor genius wanted to use one of his clans signature moves and burn the damn files to nothing but ash. The grand fireball would do the job quick.

However, his irritated thoughts got interrupted when a knock came from the door. Cleaning his face from any kind of sign of emotions, he accepted the entrance. A Hyuuga walked in, his vest was stained crimson with both enemies and fellows blood.

"Hyuuga Yukito from squad 3, report" the ANBU bowed and got permission to continue. "Squad 3 and 16 have just returned from the conflict with Cloud ninja. We were the last on the scene, and have eliminated the threat. Another team have been sent to watch the border."

"Injury stats?" Itachi demanded.

"Squad 3 came back with three man injured, only minor wounds and a broken rib. Squad 16 mostly came back without injury, their captain however…" the Hyuuga hesitated a moment before continuing, "captain Hyuuga Fuhiko came back severely injured. He was at a critical condition, and he is now being operated in the hospital."

Itachi felt the shame rolling of the Hyuuga in front of him when he admitted the only person in danger was one of his own clans men, especially since he confessed the fact to an Uchiha. "Is there anything else?" he asked, hiding the triumphant smirk behind his hands (there was no way a man who had been brought up as Uchiha could avoid the feeling of clan rivalry).

"We suspect someone from the village has leaked out to the Cloud village" the brown haired man said.

"What reasons?"

"The Cloud ninja have all targeted those who have a specially powerful treats of their bloodline" the Hyuuga dared not to smirk, there was just a too high risk of ending up in the same ward as his fellow clan man if he taunted one of his commanders.

"I see" Itachi lowered his gaze, "do you have any suspicions?"

"Yes. Mostly those who have been outside Konoha for the last week."

"And those are?"

"Hamega Rima, Sagahaki Riko, Sagahaki Shiku, Hotori Josh and Haruno Amarante" the newly wedded Uchiha looked at the far off wall.

"Ignore Haruno Amarante, she is innocent. Keep an extra careful eye on Hotori" if he remembered what Shisui had told him correctly, Josh had stayed in Sand after Amarante went home. He ignored the fact that his future first lady was getting married. That had been called extremely disrespectful within his own clan and the bastard would not have set foot within their compound ever again. The Haruno's really were to good hearted.

"Is there anything else?"

"No, not from me. But I do think Fuhiko had something to tell you" Yukito said.

"Then you are dismissed" Itachi returned his attention to the files at his desk. He ignored the bow from the nin and signed the paper.

-

Sakura breathed hard when she closed the wound in the ANBU's chest. The surgery had taken a lot of her energy and chakra. She had to remove a piece of a shadow shuriken from his ribcage and repair nearly all organs. How the hell did every high ranked ninja succeed in surviving a trip with such great injuries?

"Patient stable" she said and let the nurses take over in cleaning him up. She went over to the sink and washed her hands. Somehow she had managed to avoid any major stains of blood on her uniform, and for that she was thankful, she had to go straight to the mental ward after this.

"_Uchiha Sakura to the mental ward immediately"_ the speakers in the hall sounded.

_Oh, great. What crazy person needs a massage now?_ Inner Sakura whined.

Sakura sighed and hurriedly walked out the surgery room, taking long and powerful strides through the corridors. She got to the stairs and took two at a time up towards the fifth floor. When she had was at the third flight of stairs she heard screams from her destination. Immediately she realized one of the patients had surely got an attack, and was now being violent toward anything and anyone.

She began running, and she was soon up at the ward she wanted. Her heavy breathing worsened when saw two of her own patients going on a rampage against two nurses.

"Uchiha-sensei!" one of them called, and made the two mental cases turn their head.

"Haruno-sensei!" the shorter and younger one said and smiled at the newly arrived doctor.

The other one was thirty years old, and a former shinobi. He was the type which could do just about anything if his environment changed, unlike the kid, which would change between the worlds sweetest person and a murderous psychopath like Shisui switch between funny and perverted.

She looked out the window that was open, and assumed the two had tried to escape when the nurses caught them. She also briefly thought about the fact that she was looking against the headquarters of the ANBU force. "Kuzumi-kun, Hakate-kun, why do I see you outside your rooms?" she asked sternly, crossing her arms and frowning at the two.

"I was just going to follow Kuzumi-chan and go and see if you really had gotten married, Haruno-sensei" the boy named Hakate said with a childish smile.

"What?" Sakura stared dumbly at them.

"W-We told them you married to Uchiha-sama yesterday, and that was why you hadn't v-visited them…" nurses let out helpless whimpers when the older male raised a shard of a vase against them.

"Kuzumi-kun, put that shard down. They have not lied, I did marry Uchiha Itachi yesterday" the petite doctor said, walking against the little group.

"No… Haruno-sensei can't be Uchiha-sensei… Haruno-sensei is Haruno-sensei…" Hakate began to sob, and a dark aura surrounded him. "I'm gonna make sure Haruno-sensei stays Haruno-sensei…" when he raised his head his usually bright blue eyes were dark with insanity, staring darkly at the doctor, then out the window and to the headquarters.

"Hakate-kun, I already am Uchiha-sensei. But that doesn't mean I'll change. I'm still Sakura. The only difference is my last name" Sakura said kindly. "I won't change just because I'm living with a man."

"Yes you will! He will change you! He will take you away from me!" the insane teenager yelled and launched forward.

"Hakate-kun! Calm down!" Sakura cried and avoided his arms that tried to grab her neck. "If you don't I'm going to get mad at you!"

Her words did not reach him, he had been swallowed by jealousy. He had once confessed to her, and he had been sad when she denied him, but he said it was fine.

"_As long as you don't go and forget about me like my parents, Haruno-sensei!"_

Sakura felt guilty about not telling him, maybe he felt like she had forgotten about him. "Hakate-kun, I won't forget about you! I'll still think about you! I'll still come and visit you!" she said to him, looking into his eyes.

"But you have someone else now! You will forget me! He will make you forget!" by now he was crying, and the dark side of him was beginning to turn back to his childish and sad personality.

"I don't forget my friends!" Sakura said to him, slowly approaching him cautiously. "Don't you trust me?"

Hakate looked up at her from his position on the floor and immediately sniffed. "I-I'm so sorry Uchiha-sensei!" he said and came up to hug her around the waist, crying against her abdomen.

"I know, Hatake-kun, I know" she told him and hugged him back. "I'll have to knock you out for now, nothing scary will happen."

The boy in her arms nodded once, knowing that he could trust her. Her fingers came up and at first stroke his neck before pushing down. A second later he went limp and she had to grab him to keep him form falling down on the floor. She settled him against the wall and stroke his hair, "good boy."

When she got up right again she face the next mental issue. "Kuzumi-kun, could you please let them go? I need them to take care of Hatake-kun" she said seriously.

"And if I don't?" he challenged her.

"I will become mad" she told him.

At first he stood still, but then lowered the sharp shard in his hand and stepped aside to let the girls get past him. They quickly ran behind their superior and checked on the boy before helping each other to lift him up. They carried him to his room and got the silent wink to not get out until they were told otherwise. When the door shut Sakura focused on her other patient again.

Now when you know I'm married, will you go back to your room on your own?" she asked humorlessly.

"No."

"And why not?" Sakura glared at him a little before she gasped when he went after her with the shard in his hand. He, just like Hatake, went for her neck, trying to grab it. She had to go down into a bridge position to dodge his attack, but quickly got up again, jumping towards the end of the corridor that was a dead-end. She had to be extra careful, she was dealing with a former ANBU.

She backed a step to escape a chop with the shard in his left hand but gasped when he drove his right hand into her side instead, he held a shard she had not noticed before. She coughed blood, and gripped the new wound. She was to caught up in the pain she failed to react in time when he grabbed her shoulder and rammed her into the wall, making her head crash hard against the solid surface. Sparkles went in front of her and she felt dizzy.

"I won't go into my room on my own. I'll take you with me and make you mine" he said, and forcefully pressed his lips against hers. His hands were running up her thigh and his tongue easily got past her poorly sealed mouth. She tried to push him away, but her tired and shocked body made little challenge for a former ninja.

She whined loudly when his other hand that did not massaging her butt cheek came up to grope her breast. She succeeded in breaking the horrible kiss. "Kuzumi! Stop it!" she shrieked when he began kissing her neck. She tried to mold her chakra in any of her body parts, but her head was still messed up from the collision with the wall and she only managed to get a portion of her normal strength. She felt tears gather in the corner of her eyes when his lower hand began to travel to the front of her hips, getting dangerously close to her secret place.

"God damn it, Itachi! Where are you when you're needed?!" she screamed, the tears beginning to fall from her eyes. Not even a second later she felt the body that pressed against her get violently removed and a crash followed within the time limit she could gasp and sink down to the floor. Her eyelids flew up and her dimmed vision caught sight of the person she had called out to. He stood with his arm still outstretched against the wall he had sent the crazy man into. His Sharingan stood out against the dark sky that was visible through the window behind him.

If she had been able to see his expression she would be hiding like a scared rabbit at the rage that was showing in it. When he turned his face towards her he immediately softened. He leaned down and put a hand on her head. Without warning she threw herself at him, crying loudly as she finally realized how close she had been to being raped. She clutched on her side and dug her face into the crook of his neck. His warmth brought comfort to her shocked mind. She was beginning to feel a growing ache in her head and grabbed the back of her husbands shirt in a try to ease it.

Without hesitation Itachi wrapped his arms around her, thinking about what would have happened if he had not walked down the corridor on the other side of the alley to get the file on her cousins fiancé. He really never had seen the meaning with those windows, since sunlight rarely found it's way through them, but now he was glad they were there.

When he felt a warm feeling against his arm he raised it and saw the rich amount of blood running down it. He gently pushed his wife away from him to look at the wound, and found that he indeed was able to heal it. He told his lovely woman soothing words as he inserted his chakra inside the wound, calming her down. When he closed the wound up she had stopped shaking, but was still crying.

He found that she did not let go off his neck when he tried to stand up. He stroke her back before putting his arms around her legs and ribcage and lift her off the ground. As he began walking down the corridor several nurses and doctors came up the stairs, staring in shock at the crying kunoichi.

"W-What happened?" Shizune asked, after pressing through the crowd.

"That man over there tried to rape her, and wounded her. I suspect she's having a concussion, so I will take her home" Itachi replied emotionlessly, but on the inside he was fuming.

"I see" the woman let out a sigh of relief. "Take care of her, will you?"

"Of course."

----

Word count: 4833

AAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHWWWWWW!!!!! You will never believe how annoying this chapter was! I had no wish to write it, since I wanna write what's in the next chapter… and damn, is it short?! It annoys me to no end if I don't get at least 5500 words… ah, well, guess I have to make an extra long one next time, right?

This chapter was delayed thanks to my travel to France, and a few other stuff. Just a reminder: Never travel by bus if you're going somewhere far away, capish?

Do you think it's to sudden for Sakura to beginning to fall for the handsome Uchiha, or may it be right? I know love is sudden, I've experienced it myself… and no, I don't believe in love at first sight. It is as Mikaru said, only a child can fall in love, grown ups can only become attracted before they start to like someone. I think the three steps are very accurate, at least that's how I feel.

Anyways, Review and I will write faster :D


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter VI**

**Uchiha Magic**

"Ack! Sakura-chan, help!" Shisui whined breathily, his abdomen stuck under the pressure of his spiky haired cousins elbow.

"No," the blossom haired medic smirked.

"Ah! W-why n-not?!" he was beginning to have trouble breathing.

"You can't run around like a crazed stallion, now can you?" she poked his forehead and then leaned back to watch in amusement once again.

"Who are you calling crazed stallion?! Ita-chan must be more crazed than me, seeing he has you for a w--ARGH!!" the poor man did not finish due to the increased weight on his ribcage. He was beginning to gasp for air, and Sakura was beginning to pity him.

"Sasuke, you should probably let him go, I have no wish to carry out a mouth-to-mouth resuscitation on him," she warned.

Sasuke, who immediately knew what it was going to lead to, eased his elbow of his cousin.

"Damn it, you brat! For once when I want you to hurt me you don't!" the older Uchiha yelled at the younger one. He was also pointing accusingly at him, and glared daggers.

"Now, now Shisui, remember why we got into this from the very beginning," Sakura smirked.

Shisui blushed red and held his hand over the lower part of his face to hide it. Who would ever guess that _the_ Uchiha Shisui would be so embarrassed of the fact that he was in love? Or maybe it was because he did feel more than just sexual attraction that made his face shift in the color of roses?

"Sakura-chan, you're so mean…" he muttered, lowering his head.

"Oh no, I'm not! I was actually thinking to go and talk to the elders about the matter tonight…" the rosette barely finished her sentence before the Uchiha beamed.

"Do you really mean that?" he asked hopefully.

Sakura laughed, he sure was bad at concealing his emotion. "Yeah. But remember, if you do something bad to her you'll have an entire clan of hot tempered ninja, medics and master interrogators after you," she squinted her eyes at him, promising that she did not leave idle threats.

"I-I got it! It's not like I was gonna do that anyway…" Shisui pouted.

"What are you guys talking about?" Mikoto asked, entering from the door.

"We're helping Shisui realize his responsibility when he's engaged to Amarante-chan," Sakura grinned madly.

"Oh! Is it decided?" Mikoto asked hopefully, she had always acted as the flirtatious man's mother since his own parents died.

"No, I'm gonna go persuade the elders tonight," the medic said, letting her insane smile widen.

Mikoto matched her expression, even if it was a bit more sane. "But before that, could you come and help me with the food? I'm afraid I won't have it ready till Itachi-chan get here," she sighed worriedly, turning and shaking her head in a sign of hardship.

"Alright, but don't blame me if someone faints," the only living pink haired Uchiha said.

"Sakura, Itachi will know if you've poisoned the food," Sasuke said, frowning.

Sakura raised an eyebrow. "I just meant how horrible I am at cooking, Sasuke," she ignored his hard stare and walked into the kitchen.

"Is she really a bad chef?" Shisui asked innocently.

"No, she's almost as good as kaa-san," the spiky haired man said.

"Then what did she mean?"

"Let us just say that she has an incredible talent to mix in chakra," the older (and probably the more stupid) Uchiha tilted his head like a confused puppy.

Out in the kitchen Sakura tried to kneed the dough to the dumplings, extra sweet, as Mikoto called them, then she would make dango. The older woman stood by the stove and made okonomiyaki.

"I really hope Itachi comes soon, it would be awful if he will be forced to work overtime…" Mikoto glanced at the wife of her eldest son, "how are you getting along? It's been a month already."

The swift and rather violent movement of the skilled medic stopped for a moment, but then continued. "It's fine. We get along," she said, her voice happy and a fake smile on her lips. The Haruno's truly was the worst liars in the hidden leaf village.

"I see… At least you have not killed him with exhaustion," the raven haired woman smiled smugly.

"Mikoto-san!" Sakura frowned, missing the very naughty point of the sentence.

The former kunoichi pretended to not be hearing and began humming instead and worked on the food on the stove. The pinkettes frown deepened, but lessened when she noticed that the mixture under her hands was quite ready to be molded. She took a small piece and began rolling it between her palms. When she was most satisfied with the round form she pierced it with an extra long toothpick. She repeated the process until she had nothing in front of her except a humongous mountain of dumplings on a plate.

"Are we going to put honey on these?" Sakura asked, rather hopefully actually.

Mikoto shook her head, smiling. "Even if he would never say, Fugaku hates honey," the Uchiha giggled.

"And I guess he loves sour stuff?" the two females burst into a fit of laughter.

"Now, now Sakura-chan, let us not make jokes about your father in law," the retired genjutsu master looked sternly at the one that would inherit her title as first lady of the Uchiha clan. But her bland expression soon faltered and she began to laugh again.

Almost one hour later all preparations of the meal was over, and the two men the rest of the celebrants had waited for stepped inside the dining room that had been set. And the unlikely female Uchiha was delighted.

"Oh, Itachi-chan!" she chirped and danced over to her son on light feet, "happy 25 birthday, dear!" She hugged him and pulled him down to kiss his cheek, "I've never figured out where you got your height from." Fugaku snorted and seated at the table.

"Happy birthday, Ita-chan! Only one year closer to the end of your long life!" Shisui grinned and threw an arm around his cousins shoulders. "A life filled with a certain beautiful and dangerous girl called Sakura!" his loud exclamation had the other Uchiha males frowning, one in annoyance and one in that and protectiveness. Mikoto squealed lowly, concealing her smug smirk.

Sakura on the other hand, blushed and looked to the ground. She had not wished her husband happy birthday yet, since he had left the house before she woke up, probably to get his work in the ANBU done before dinner.

"Congrats, nii-san," Sasuke muttered, to proud and arrogant to go up and hug his brother. The women in the room silently thought that treat that both the brothers possessed came from their father.

"Thank you," Itachi said, not looking to his wife. She was a bit grateful, because she would not have liked it if she had to be pressured to congratulate him, but she also felt a bit like an outsider, as if she did not belong there.

Swallowing her pride she walked up to him, tugged at his shirt to gain his attention, gained it and leaned up. She gently placed her lips at his cheek, much like his mother had done. "Happy birthday, Itachi," she said with a smile. She could almost laugh at the stunned expression on his face, it was after all the first time either of them had attempted something 'intimate'. But her amusement was short lived because his expression changed and now it was her time to be shocked.

"Thank you, Sakura," Uchiha Itachi was giving her a _smile_. No catastrophe in the entire world could have prepared the baffled former Haruno for this. That earned her the trouble to confess to herself that it sure was a positive catastrophe. She had yet to admit to herself that she was surely falling for him, and that she would land _hard_. (No one to lay out pillows there…)

But like her amusement her intense bewilderment was living a short, but happy, life when the cause of it all leaned to full length and blanked his face. "It smells delicious, kaa-san," he said, complementing his mothers work.

"Oh, thank you, dear!" Mikoto smiled, "but I'm not the only one who have worked. Sakura-chan has made the dessert."

"Is that so…" the impassive Uchiha slid his gaze to his wife and then to his father, before finally settling at his mother again.

The wise woman nodded. "Yes, and now everyone, please have a seat," she said and motioned for them all to sit, except Fugaku since he already was in that position.

"Thank you, baa-chan!" Shisui settled on the other end of the table on the side Fugaku was sitting, since Sasuke had quickly occupied the place where he had originally thought to sit. It had not occurred to the younger man that it was purely to persuade the rosette to go earlier to her own clan elders, no dirty intentions at all. Or, maybe one little…

"Don't eat everything before we got to get something on our plates, idiot," Sasuke commented when the highly skilled Uchiha eyed the food eagerly, and a small, almost primitive, glint appeared in his black eyes.

"I could say the same to you, brat! It wasn't me who ate five bowls of ramen for breakfast!" he countered, thinking that his cousin would get scolded.

"You finally accepted Naruto's challenge on who could eat most ramen?" Sakura came to her team mates rescue, much to the chagrin of her husbands best friend.

"Damn it, Sakura-chan!" Shisui pouted, feeling very bullied.

"I guess he won, didn't he? That's why you're so grumpy," the female of team seven snickered.

"He ate five bowls when I was half through my first, what do you think? And I'm not grumpy," the spiky haired man frowned.

"Oh yeah, I forgot, you're always like this. That's why you can't tell the difference," Shisui laughed at her harsh, but true, statement, his Uchiha pride regaining its full strength. Mikoto also giggled, while her husband frowned (he had always been sensitive when it came to his family's grumpy nature, since he could not admit to himself that it was true).

"That one was good, Sakura-chan!" the knucklehead Uchiha said, giggling mannishly.

"Stop giggling, are you gay or something?" Sasuke said something he should not have done.

"What the hell?! You're asking for it, chicken-ass head!"

"Bring it, immature non-Uchiha!" Sakura could almost see the sparks flying where their vision met. Fortunately, Mikoto came to the rescue.

"Sasuke, Shisui, settle down," she said ice coldly. The two immediately obeyed, because the demand sure was scary.

"Now, help yourselves," she said with a smile, her cool and threatening manner gone.

"Itadakimasu," the people around the table said and began to take of the food offered.

The meal was eaten with lively conversation between Mikoto, Sakura and Shisui, the other half of the group raising their opinion on the subject only a few times. They talked about sealing techniques and how you make soy sauce, and everything in between. It was only when the mentioning of the potential engagement between the unlikely Uchiha and the Haruno with lavender eyes that Sasuke made a rude comment.

"You'll chase her away within one week," he snorted.

"If she's been my team mate for three years I doubt that, brat" Shisui said, extremely calm, slurping his udon.

"I meant with your sexual harassing," the triumphant smirk adoring the bastard Uchiha's lips could be called anything but good.

The older man snapped, and pointed his chop sticks at the younger one. "You want to die or something?" he warned angrily.

"Sasuke, you shouldn't meddle with this, ok?" Sakura said, giving her team mate a sweet smile, the kind of smile that told him that he would be sorry if he did not surrender to her command.

"So, Sakura-chan, how are you planning to persuade your elders?" Mikoto asked, relieving the tension.

"Telling them the truth, of course. I'm sure they will break Amarante's engagement with Josh if I tell them that she and Shisui is madly in love with each other. I'm sure they will accept it, since Josh is just her friend," Sakura smirked at the pink tint on the lucky man's cheeks.

"Sounds like a plan," the former kunoichi took a bite of her okonomiyaki before continuing, "I'm very sure our elders won't mind either, isn't that right, dear?"

Fugaku let out a heavy sigh, he had no wish to be part of this particular conversation. "Yes, I am certain they will not," his wife smiled at his reservation, which she found very cute.

"Goshisosama," Shisui said, and set down his chop sticks. The people stared at him with something close to amazement, since he was the first to finish. This had never happened before. His face was bright red, probably with excitement.

"Is something wrong, Shisui?" Mikoto asked worriedly.

"I am sure Shisui is only nervous, kaa-san," Itachi said, setting his cup with green tea down. "Goshisosama," he said and took a napkin to dry away the nonexistent remains of food around his mouth.

"Oh…" his mother caught up and smiled. "Well, I hope you aren't to nervous for dessert, Sakura worked hard to make it."

"Of course not! I always have room for more!" the Uchiha said, forgetting the unfamiliar feeling of nervousness for a moment.

"Great, but the others must finish first. So take your time digesting," the first lady said and drank from her cup of tea.

It was no later than five minutes later that Mikoto came into the dining room carrying a giant plate filled with dango and dumpling. She had made incredibly quick work of clearing the table, and could therefore set down the plate without obstacles. "Dig in!" she said, and smiled when the young ones immediately snatched one stick each, as if it would disappear if they did not.

"This is delicious Sakura-chan!" Shisui said, he had clearly mastered the art of talking clearly with food in your mouth.

"Thanks, Shisui," Sakura smiled, swallowing before she answered.

"Since when did you get so good at making dango?" Sasuke asked, since he knew she had always found it difficult to make the snack.

"Since two weeks ago, when Mikoto-san taught me how to," the pink haired woman said proudly. "Most dango you've been eating these last few days have mostly been made by me."

Sasuke choked on the tea he had been drinking, and had to have his team mate 'tap' him on the back to swallow.

"Come on, it wasn't that horrible, was it?" Sakura pouted.

Sasuke was quiet, choosing to not voice his opinion.

Fugaku shifted his gaze to his wife, and she nodded. Only their eldest son noticed their quiet exchange, since the others were talking about whenever all women can cook or not.

"All women can't cook! That's impossible!" Shisui exclaimed.

"Every woman can cook, only that some might be better at it than others," Sakura said, frowning at the two men that were against her.

"Whatever," Sasuke said and rolled his eyes, he was far from taking this seriously.

"At least every Haruno can cook," the petite kunoichi said, eyeing the mirage ninja, "you're quite lucky, Shisui. As you might know, Amarante is the best one."

At the mentioning of the purple haired beauty the tips of the flirtatious man's ears turned very red. Sakura really did not know how he had refrained from becoming a tomato in the presence of her cousin.

It was nearing three in the afternoon when Sakura and Itachi decided to head back to their house, and Shisui said he would accompany them. She wondered if it was to steal the dango and dumpling she had gotten from Mikoto, since many had been left after the meal was finished. That was probably it, since he should be going home to prepare to court her cousin, sweep her of her feet and walk against the sunset. No, that sounded like something two spandex wearing men would do… And surely Shisui was not as stupid as them, right?

Who was she trying to fool?

Shisui was one of the stupidest people in Konoha if he did not have to be smart. As late as last month Itachi tricked him into believing that Amarante had been kidnapped and Josh was keeping her captive in the Hokage mountain, and that he wanted a to-the-death match with the only idiot Uchiha out there for her love. Of course, he believed it and really did prepare to leave for the monument, in full ANBU attire. It was only when Amarante came to visit Sakura that the poor man figured that his cousin had tricked him, much like the sneaky weasel he was. It was by mere luck the two women could keep him from killing his cousin.

"Itachi-sama!" the voice of children reached the ear of the three shinobi. They turned around and saw a herd of kids running towards them. When Sakura almost thought they would be over run, they stopped.

"Itachi-sama, happy birthday!" a boy said. He was wearing an Uchiha shirt, just like most of the other children and their seniors did, and white shorts. On his forehead there was a plaster. The rest of the crowd of mini people also wished their future clan leader well.

"I…I have a present for you, Itachi-sama!" a girl said. Sakura recognized her as the girl she had bumped into the day she arrived at the compound. The small kid took out a small(er) wrapped box from her obi, and reached up to the male that was almost trice her length. Hesitantly he took it, observing it closely.

"Thank you, Mamo," Itachi said and gave the cute mini woman a smile. Oh, so he like kids?

_How fitting…_ the ever rebellious inner persona of Sakura mused. Said female pushed said persona to the very back of her said mind.

"Have a good day!" Mamo said, and the collection of non imaginary and not hairy hobbits ran away, probably to calm down after approaching the 'very powerful and dangerous' heir. But right now he just looked like he was baffled by the whole situation (if now apathetic Uchiha's could have such emotion).

"Come on, I have to put these away," Sakura said and rustled with the bag in her hand, "and no Shisui, you're not allowed to see where!"

"Aw… But Sakura-chan!"

-

"I really think we should expect Amarante to be pregnant before the year is over in stead of me," Sakura said, poking the back of the head belonging to an idiot Uchiha.

"Ow! What's that supposed to mean?" Shisui asked, rubbing to sore spot, "you really have to learn and realize your strength, Sakura-chan."

"What was that?!" the sensitive and easily offended flower asked, pulling at the man's high pony tail.

"Ow, ow, ow, ow! Ita-chan! Get your wife off me!" the poor man whined when the assault on his hair continued.

Itachi chuckled. "I enjoy the vision of you in pain much more than the feeling of me hurt, Shi-chan," his inner smirk widened when the two persons in front of him stilled in all movements and stared at him like he was about to give them an ending blow.

"AH!!" the cousin of the scariest man through out history yelled and dramatically threw himself at the floor. "Please! Spare me! I have done nothing to deserve this cruel fate!" he cried, bowing down.

_I know his new killer move…_ Sakura thought, finding it hard to believe her husband had really said -chan.

_Sakura-chan! Sa-ku-ra-chan! It's our name that you should use -chan for! God damn it!_

The pink haired woman ignored her inner, because she did not have any wish to fight right now.

A ring on the door gave her the distraction she needed. But when she realized it would surely be some of Itachi's friends she sighed. Why did he have to be a celebrity?

"Coming, coming," she called out, not wanting any more visitors. When the person(s) rang again she would surely scream at the he or she standing there. She grabbed the handle and swung the door open, taking a deep breath to yell at who ever stood there. Only that she did not.

"S-Saku-chan…" on the doorstep a heartbroken Amarante stood, tears rolling down her face. Her yukata was ruffled, a proof of her running. "Saku-chan…" she threw herself at her cousin, hugging her close, sobbing louder. Her body was shaking terribly.

"A-Amarante-chan… What happened?" Sakura asked, gently easing off the arms around her shoulders.

"I-I need t-to see I-Itachi…" the crying woman said, trying to dry her tears away.

A little confused, the medic led her cousin to the kitchen, supporting her so she would not fall. Well in the kitchenette the two men stopped their argument about that they could not open the bag with dango. Shisui was immediately up, and did not care that the chair he had been sitting on fell to the ground. His eyes were wide with worry and bewilderment. Itachi, on the other hand, lowered his eyelids, nothing more than that.

"What's wrong, Amarante-chan?" the worried man asked, wondering if he should approach her or wait.

Amarante did not answer him with more than a look, but the gazed at his cousin. "I-Itachi… Is it really t-true that J-Josh… is a t-traitor?" she bit her bottom lip, wanting him to say no. She did not want to lose one f her best friends. She did not want to believe that he had betrayed her.

The apathetic man closed his eyes and took a deep breath. He knew both his cousin and wife was staring at him like they had a hard time to accept that he might have issued an order about this particular matter. But he was not going to lie, Amarante deserved to know. "Yes, Josh gave Cloud ninja information about our squads and captains, as well as our medics. He is being interrogated by Ibiki at the moment" he told the truth. He could not take Amarante's feelings in consideration, he had to think about the village's safety.

"N-no… H-he didn't…" the desperate woman whispered, burying her face in the palm of her hand. "W-why would he…?" the question hung in the air, no one having an answer for it.

"That, we certainly will know by tomorrow" the long haired Uchiha heir said. This would become troublesome, because Sakura surely would not let this slip past her.

"N-no way…" Amarante broke down into hysterics and hugged her cousin once again.

Sakura did not know what to say. She had never liked Josh, so she could not say anything positive about him, and she did not know his objective either, so she could not comfort about that… The only thing that would work right now was some charming Uchiha magic. She threw a glare at Shisui, urging him to take action, because if anyone had mastered the way of Uchiha enchantment it was him.

"Amarante-chan…" he began, but stopped. He bit his lip in thought, wondering what he should say. Not used to be under pressure in these kind of matters, he did the only thing that was like him, letting go of everything he had on his mind.

"God damn that fucking idiot! How the hell does he dare to do that to you?! That bastard doesn't love you and never will! ARGH!!!" in the confused moment his outburst began he had thrown himself over his love object and almost ripped her from her cousin to stare in her eyes. "I would never do anything like that to you, because I love you!" another glorious moment had passed, and it took all four of them a few seconds of thought before they all realized the impulsive man had finally confessed his love.

"S-Shisui-kun…" Amarante forgot her despair for a few seconds, in which she turned as red as a tomato. Without further ado, she wrapped her arms around his neck and jumped up to catch his lips with her own. He greedily accepted her and lift her up, getting the opportunity to touch more than just her shoulders.

Sakura almost gawked at the passionate make out that was happening before her, because she never imagined her cousin to indulge in such acts. It was only when she had to turn around to stop herself from blushing that they stopped.

"Aw… Sakura-chan is embarrassed!" Shisui grinned.

"No, I'm not! I was just going to go and talk to the elders about getting you two married!" she defended, the lie obvious to all but Amarante (all Haruno think they are great liars).

"I-I was talking to them about that… and they agreed, that's when they told me Josh was a traitor…" the not-for-long-Haruno looked down sadly.

"Oh…" the not-so-old-Uchiha also looked down, uncertain what to say.

"Well, I ask for permission to retire, since I and Amarante-chan has a few things to settle…" Shisui tugged eagerly at the waist of the girl in his arms.

"Shisui-kun!" Amarante squealed, quickly getting dragged away to the door.

"Don't make her pregnant just yet!" the pink haired heiress called after them.

"Saku-chan!" was the last thing heard from her cousin before the door shut and the two married were left alone.

Itachi was currently preparing for a scolding, not that he thought he deserved one, but his wife surely did. He unfolded one of the scrolls in front of him and put his feet on the chair next to him, leaned back and began to read. It was about the Cloud attack, something he had already analyzed, but his commander wanted him to go through. He did not get to get very far though, until his beloved turned and glared at him.

"Why the hell didn't you tell me Josh was suspected for being a traitor?" she asked, anger coating her otherwise sweet voice.

"I was not allowed to do so. Besides, it wasn't certain he had anything to do with it," he said calmly, without looking up from the scroll.

"You could have told me he was a suspect! Then I could at least prepare Amarante for it! And look at me when I'm talking to you!" she yelled, banging her fist down on the table. She was glaring at him, her emerald eyes hard as the precious stone they were.

He obeyed her request, and met her stare with a blank face. "It was top secret Sakura. Both of us would get in trouble if it came out," he said, dead seriously.

"Do you think Amarante and I would tell anyone else?!" she yelled.

"Your friend Ino, as well as your mother, have an incredible talent to get things out of you. And you know very well they have a hard time not letting gossip out," he said, not regretting telling the truth, not even when he could practically see the steam coming out of her ears.

"Are you insulting my friend and family, you Uchiha bastard?!" she screamed, deciding he was very lucky that there was a table between them.

"No, I was just telling the facts. And you are aware that you just insulted yourself indirectly?" he asked, feeling amused when she gaped like a fish in loss of words.

"Fine then, you born Uchiha bastard!" she was hissing like a cat by now.

"You are insulting your coming children."

"Who ever said I was going to have kids with you?!"

"You don't need to have them with me, but you have to do it with an Uchiha, or else everyone will know you have cheated and even if you do it with someone else, they will go under the name Uchiha," Itachi could barely contain the smirk that threatened to appear when his wife gawked.

"You…You god damned sneaky weasel!" Sakura yelled before running out in the hall, putting on her shoes in record time and running out in the garden, and then the street, leaving Itachi to laugh to himself.

_That…That stupid man!_ she thought angrily, stomping the dirt road furiously. Everyone carefully avoided her, most knowing how bad her temper could be. The only person that would be stupid enough to bother her when she was like this was most certainly working on casting his Uchiha enchantments over her own cousin right now.

_That HOT stupid man!_ As usual, Inner Sakura would never help her outer without mentioning something good about the raven haired male.

Sakura didn't have the energy to care about her irritating inner, since all of it was laid on her anger towards her _darling_ husband. She was even to caught up in her heated thoughts to notice Lee trying to make yet another love confession from a distance of fifty meters.

"Oh, Sakura-chan!" the said girl stopped in her tracks and glared against the person who had dared to interrupt her countdown of 1000 way to kill her husband. She was at 875; choke him with a dangostick down his throat. But she immediately regretted it when she saw her mother.

_Wait… How the hell did I end up in the hospital?_

"You walked in, of course," Mikaru smiled, her daughter had mistakenly voiced her very confused thought.

"Ha, ha, very funny kaa-chan," Sakura pouted.

"So, I guess something has happened?" the older woman asked, a knowing smile on her face.

"Yeah…"

"He didn't tell you about Josh, did he?" the Haruno could laugh at the comical expression her child had. "Your father and other relatives visit me quite often, darling" she said, patting the chair beside her bed.

Obediently Sakura sat down.

"How do you feel about it?"

She looked up at her mother, making a sad face. "I'm sad… He didn't trust me, or Amarante for that matter, enough to tell us about it, even though we had all the right to know. And I'm damn angry at him for it to! That born Uchiha bastard!" she resisted the urge to bang her fist enhanced with chakra into the wall. "He doesn't trust me at all!"

Mikaru smiled. "I don't think that's it," the confused stare she got had her chuckling, "that kind of information is actually dangerous to know, Itachi probably didn't want you to get in danger. He doesn't care for anything else except your wellbeing."

"And how do you know that?" the pink haired girl asked critically.

"I'll tell you something now, so just sit and listen," the sick female leaned back in her fluffy pillows and stared up at the ceiling.

"When you were born, Mikoto, Fugaku and Itachi was waiting outside with Agito. Mikoto told me Itachi didn't get why everyone were waiting without doing anything about my screaming," Sakura shuddered, "when they came to meet me and you he was glaring at you as if you were a replacement for him to Mikoto."

Both women let out a giggle.

"But when he held you…" she made a pause, remembering the moment, "he stared at you for minutes, like he had seen nothing more beautiful. When Mikoto asked if he didn't want to hold you anymore he _glared_ at her. And you should know he is quite the mama's little boy." She laughed, but her daughter did not join her, she was trying to absorb everything that had been told to her.

"He…" she began, but was cut off.

"And then, he went behind a curtain and sat down, holding you and not letting go until you began to cry because you were hungry," Mikaru watched her child with absolute calm.

"So he…" Sakura could not continue for some reason, the words caught in her mouth.

"He was happy with the marriage, because then he could protect you. I think that he devoted his life to you the moment he held you for the first time," the Haruno's first lady said gently.

"But he never…"

"He loves you too much."

The petite kunoichi twitched, and stared wide eyed at the floor in front of her. Is it a surprise she has a hard time finding this realistic?

"He told me he would let you have lovers, if you would be happy with them. He loves you enough to let you go," Mikaru closed her eyes and breathed calmly.

Sakura gasped and felt her eyes water. She had been stupid. She had been unfair. She had been a total bastard to him. Now when she thought about it, he had never done anything she did not want him to. Never made any intimate contact, never tried anything 'disgraceful'. He had never made a single action to give a hint that he wanted to keep her to himself.

"He wanted me to…" she stopped mid sentence. The tears began rolling down her cheeks, and a lump appeared in her throat. "Why didn't he…"

"He was afraid you would stay with him only because of his feelings. He knows you are that kind of person, and he didn't want that, because you would be unhappy because of him."

The girl sobbed and tried to dry away her tears, but only more came. She was shaking with shame. She was only considering herself, never thinking about him for once.

"You should hurry, it looks like it's going to rain soon" Mikaru said.

"_Who ever said I was going to have kids with you?!"_

"_You don't need to have them with me, but you have to do it with an Uchiha, or else everyone will know you have cheated,"_

"Oh dear god…" Sakura whispered, getting up from the chair in a moment.

"Take the window, I'd like to hear the rain when it comes…" her mother whispered and laid back, closing her eyes.

The pink haired medic obeyed without thought, opened the window and jumped out. The sky was hidden by dark clouds, and the first droplets were going to fall soon. She landed clumsily at the ground and speeded of towards the Uchiha mansion, that thankfully laid near the hospital. People who saw her surely thought she had just got to know that a relative or friend had died, but as we all know, they are wrong.

For a person such as Sakura, who had always been protected, these kind of things were out of her control. She did not know how to act, she never learned how to handle this kind of mental distress. She walked with fast and hard steps, ignoring everyone on the way. She did not even greet Sasuke who had been placed as gate guard.

When she came to the door to her home the sky cracked up and heavy rain began falling, and thunder roared. With a yelp she flew inside, slamming the door behind her. A chill ran down her back when she heard the shifting of paper from the kitchen. She quickly got out of her shoes and ran to the kitchen door, seeing Itachi in the same position as she left him, only more scrolls rolled up at the table.

He took a pause from his reading when he noticed her heavy breathing and tears. "Is something wrong, Sakura?" he asked, setting the scroll in his hand down. He put his feet on the floor and stood up.

"I-Itachi…" she whined, beginning to cry again. She leaned against the doorframe and sobbed, finding it hard to stand on her own.

"Did something happen?"

"You idiot!" she hissed, head bent to hide her expression.

"What?" he had a confused expression, was she still upset about their argument?

"Why didn't you tell me, you bastard?!" she yelled, looking up at him.

"Tell you what?" now what was this all about? He could not remember having anything else to hide that would affect her.

"Why didn't you tell me you love me?!" she shouted, hitting him on the chest with the little strength she could muster.

Itachi stared down at the small female clinging to his shirt. Just how the hell did she know? He could not remember that he showed her his true feelings (now that did sound girlish). He had not intended her to know, if she did not show any sign of response to his emotions. So, how the hell did she find out? He knew she had not figured it out herself, so who revealed the truth?

"How did you--

"Kaa-chan told me… You idiot! Why didn't you tell me?!"

Ah.

Sakura hugged her husband, pressing her crying face into his chest. Her nails scratched his skin through his shirt, soon coloring it red with irritation. She held him in a weak attempt to make up for the time she did not notice his interest, the time she didn't show him her own feelings.

Itachi wrapped his arms around her, and held her close to him. His long lashes lowered and he gazed at the top of her pink head. "Your mother should already have told you," he said and stroke the small of her back.

"She did…" the woman sobbed, looking up at his handsome face. Her hands came up and wound around his neck and pulled him down. She stood on her toes and pressed her mouth to his, hard, but urgent. Her fingers tangled themselves in his hair when he moved his lips to hers, lifting her up slightly as he deepened the kiss.

His tongue came out from his mouth and gently licked the crack between her lips. Soon figuring out what he wanted she opened up to him and let his tongue slide against hers. He tried to coax her into doing the same with slow and sensual moves, and quickly succeeded. The lip lock quickly got more fiery and needy, and their hands traveled over each others bodies.

With the increasing boldness of both they soon began to feel strong arousal engulfing their senses. Itachi noticed how she moaned to his every touch and she felt his arousal against her stomach. Both began to slide each others shirts of the others body, and it wasn't until they were off Sakura remembered they still were in the kitchen. She quickly broke the kiss and stepped out of his embrace.

He looked questionably at her but was soon reassured by her smile and the gentle touch of her hand on his. He turned and quickly walked towards the staircase, dragging him after her. Both of them moved with urgency and when Sakura was about to open the door to their bedroom when they stood outside it she was momentarily distracted by him sucking on her neck. Her breathing increased when he eagerly pressed against her and bit down on her skin. He grabbed her hand in his and turned the handle, opening the door and pushing her inside.

With a swift kick he closed the door and pushed the female in his arms against the bed. But before he had the chance to press her down on the mattress she once again escaped his embrace. "Sit down and close your eyes," she said hoarsely. He raised a brow at her and wondered what ever could be so important that it could interfere with their passionate actions. "Just do it" she said once again.

Obeying her order he sat down and closed his eyes. He heard her rustling with something by the closet, and he furrowed his brows. He was impatient, eager to continue the foreplay with her, and it didn't suit well with him that she was stopping that from happening all the time.

It was almost five minutes after she told him to sit down that she stood in front of him and told him to open his eyes. When he did they widened at the marvelous vision of the undergarments she had on their wedding night. The red teddy hugged her womanly forms and made her even more outstanding than she already was. The gathers formed with her soft hips and her breasts were pushed up deliciously.

"We never had a real wedding night, did we?" she asked carefully, a blush adoring her cheeks. She looked unsurely at him as he approached her, and shivered when he lightly trailed her arm with his fingertips.

"No, we didn't…" he said and leaned down to catch her lips once again. He pushed her backwards and had her pressed against the balcony door, making her groan at the distinct difference of temperature against her back. But the displeasure soon disappeared when her husband grabbed her hips to raise her up and press their sexes together. He abandoned her lips to work on his love bite he had left on her shoulder. She stretched her neck to allow him better access and let her fingers comb through his hair and release it from the ribbon at the base of his neck.

When he started on his third sucking session he lifted her away from the balcony door and went to the bed. Without letting her escape his embrace he eagerly climbed on top of her, pressing his body against hers. Both of them let out pleasured moans and groans when they touched each other. Sakura couldn't stop herself from arching her back when her husband folded her plump breast and assaulted her red lips.

When the need of air suddenly got very strong and Sakura had to break the sweet kiss Itachi was already working on her teddy, slowly opening it and nipping at the newly exposed skin. She wasn't resting either, her hands eagerly worked with the buckle of the belt around his hips to pull them down.

Somehow, Itachi succeeded in undressing his wife from her teddy while she was far to busy with his pants. And he didn't hesitate to help her by kicking the offending material of his ankles.

His eyes turned red with arousal, and the tomoes spun wildly within the crystal color. With his powerful bloodline he could see how the chakra pulsed through her body, and where it gathered the most to make the skin as sensitive as possible. He trailed a wet path from her jaw down to her round breast and gently flickered her rosy bud with his tongue. A weak whimper left her lips and her nails scratched his shoulders.

"I-Itachi…" she moaned when his hand stroke her inner thigh. Her green orbs were glazed with desire and desperation for more. Her body was getting restless and she felt a gaping emptiness within her. Her thighs clenched around his hips in a try to get him closer, but he was not letting her have her way just yet.

His finger gently stroke her damp sex, making her arch her back and moan in sudden pleasure. Her nails created deep crescent marks on his shoulders when he entered one digit inside her, making her inner walls clench around it.

"I-Itachi… hurry up," she groaned when his pace was extremely slow. She never was the patient type anyway.

"If that is your orders," he purred, "koi." He stretched above her and leaned down to kiss her lips while freeing himself from his boxers, sighing in relief. Eagerly, he positioned himself to thrust inside her, but waited for her approval.

A hesitant smile grazed her lips, and that was all Itachi needed. His hips jerked forward and he sheathed himself inside her burning core. A moan left his throat, but his newly found pleasure was immediately pushed aside when he registered the pained cry his wife made. Her nails dug into his back painfully, leaving bleeding wounds in their wake.

"Shh…" he hummed and kissed the trail of tears running down her cheek.

"W-Why is it only women who has to go through this much pain?!" she hissed in his ear, sending shivers down her spine.

"It's we men who have to bare with the thought of hurting you women," Itachi whispered and gently sucked her earlobe. He had a hard time controlling his arousal, but stood against it as to not hurt her further.

For him, it felt like an eternity until she tightened her legs around his hips, signaling she was ready. A hiss left his lips when he moved, feeling her walls clamp down on him.

Sakura had trouble focusing on anything with her eyes, and let them roll backwards when her husband quickened the pace of his thrusts. Her heavy breathing transformed into hoarse moans as his assault continued. Her skin was red with marks from his lips, that soon would bruise and become love bites, and she repaid him with marring his broad back with her long nails.

A hot, intense feeling began to gather in her lower stomach as Itachi moved harder and faster into her. She cried out when he hit a certain spot inside her to make her body arch into him and quiver with the effort. As he continuously hit the sensitive point her moans turned to screams, and if it had not been raining outside anyone could have heard her pleasured noises. Almost as if she realized the fact, one of her hands let go of him to go to her mouth. Her white teeth sank down in the skin of her index finger, reducing her cries to sniffling moans. The hand left on his back dug its nails into his skin, making crescent marks.

"Itachi…" her muffled and breathy whimper signaled her coming release, boosting the power her husbands hips slammed against her with. His heavy breaths fanned her neck and ear, and his tongue came out to lick the sweaty skin when she couldn't keep herself from screaming. He knew she was trying to stop her coiling orgasm, but he would not let her.

His arm wrapped around her and pulled her up to press her against his chest, making her feel more of his furious thrusting, grinding their bodies together. He felt her walls clenching around him before a high-pitched scream left her lips, and a warm fluid surrounded him as he found his own release.

Both shook with the aftereffects of their furious lovemaking, and it was only then Itachi considered letting his wife lay down. Her pants made her chest heave up and down, even with him laying on top of it.

"Itachi, please get of me, you're pretty heavy, you know," she breathed, combing through his locks absentmindedly with her fingers.

"Don't think you're getting away with _just this_, Sakura," he smirked when her breath hitched.

"What are you talking about?" she frowned at him through her lower lashes.

"I've been waiting eighteen years for this, I hope you didn't think I would be satisfied with just _one_ round?" he licked her collarbone, and Sakura gasped when he stirred within her.

"I-I didn't know you were such a horny dog when you were five…" she muttered and shivered pleasantly when his body vibrated with his chuckles.

"Neither did I…" he raised his gaze and a warm light was in the onyx stone. But when he blinked it was gone, and a naughty and mischief-y look took its place. "…but now I do."

A cry left her lips when he once again attacked her, making it clear to the pretty doctor in his arms that he had _plenty_ energy left for her.

---

Word count: 7898

How the hell did this become so friggin long? O.o Oh, Shisui was in it…

Huh… I hope NO ONE noticed how bad I am at making lemons… Ops, I said it. Lucky me, most never read the AN (:

Yeah, I hope no one minds about how long it is… I just had to fit all this in one chapter! And, I said I would make this chapter longer to make up for the previous one XD :P 17 pages isn't that bad!

Hope you enjoy! And please review if you like :D


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter VII**

**Festivity Tragedy**

"Sakura-chan! Is it true you and Itachi had se--

Poor Uzumaki Naruto was brutally slammed down into the floor before he could finish his question by the pink haired medic he had directed it to. Even if they were in her office, the loud pitch of his voice would surely be heard through the thrown-up door. And through said door two dark haired men walked seconds later, one glaring darkly at whatever crossed his vision, and the other smiling an oh-so-fake smile.

"Sasuke, shut the door," Sakura's brow twitched and she fought to keep the blonde beneath her elbow still. The second the lock clicked she eased the pressure of her team mate, and he immediately flew up and grabbed the sides of her face and brought it so close to his own a certain older man would become jealously suspicious.

"Sakura-chan, did you have sex with Itachi?!" Naruto sounded so blatantly desperate the woman he held was having a hard time telling him the truth. She also noted that her brother-in-law twitched and that his face twisted into a disgusted frown. Sai just stood and wondered what the hell the big idea was.

"Isn't it natural for two married people to have?" the kyuubi host became pale in the face, and his hands loosened around her face in shock, and she took the chance to get away from him. Her gaze shifted to Sasuke, and she could almost swear he had a sickly green tone beneath his bleak skin. The artist just continued to fake smile.

"But you're my Sakura-chan! My innocent, sweet, man-hating Sakura-chan!" as usual, he exaggerated.

"Naruto, people don't change just because they have sex," Sakura pinched the bridge of her nose in annoyance.

"Oh, no! Don't try to protect him! He's gonna die! No one touch my Sakura-chan!" Naruto whined, waving his fists in the air.

"Give it up dobe, you don't stand a chance," Sasuke sighed, no mater how little he wanted it to be true, not even their whole team teaming up on his brother would stand a chance, even if he had broken an arm and had a cold.

"Shut up teme! I'll kick his ass!"

"I don't get what everyone is so worried about Sakura having sex with her husband," there was an awkward silence, where everyone looked at Sai as if he had just explained an emotion correctly. The bastard of team seven sighed.

"Sai, do you know what sex is?" he asked, closing his eyes in annoyance.

"No."

"It's making babies! When a man gets in bed with a woman! When men put their--

Naruto was once again abruptly cut of by a smack to his head.

"Oh, so that's what it's called when a man put his--

Sakura didn't have to waste her energy shutting the emotionless idiot up, her lawfully signed brother did it for her. "You don't have to voice your believes, bastard."

Suddenly, Sakura felt an oh-so familiar pulse of chakra outside her window. It was far to weak for her arguing team mates to feel, but just that small flash that crossed in front of her inner eye made her body tingle with excitement. The only thing she had to do to appease these pleasant shivers was to get her fake brothers out of her office.

"Hey, now when you got your answer, would you care to leave me with my work? Or do you want to help?" she motioned to the rather high pile of medical charts, and gave them a smile. She was amazed at how fast they unlocked to door and disappeared. She giggled and went and closed the door. But before she could let go of the knob to lock it, a warm hand covered hers and she thought she heard the lock click.

A warm breath shadowed over her neck, and an arm wrapped around her torso to press her against the solid body behind her. A sigh escaped her lips when soft skin touched her throat.

"Welcome back, Itachi," she mumbled, and leaned against him, letting him hold most of her weight.

A soft kiss was placed at the crook of her neck. "I am glad to be back, _Sakura…_" his husky voice sent jolts of excitement down her spine and through the fine threads of her nerves. His fingers drew lazy circles over her stomach, and the other massaged her palm gently. He nipped carefully at the shell of her ear, not at all trying to hide his obvious…_intentions_…to her.

"Hey, Itachi…" Sakura mumbled, turning her head to give her husband a kiss. His eyes were half lidded, showing his delight to be back after his two-week mission in Stone.

She had missed him terribly after his departure, not finding his absence as appeasing as she would have but a month ago. Not only did she have troubles sleeping, thanks to his helping in…turning her hours, but she also felt terribly lonely without his warm presence. The house felt horribly big, since she was the only one living in it when he was away.

"Hmm…?" he asked as he trailed the exposed skin of her shoulder with his nose, breathing her scent.

"Tonight, there's a festival…" she turned her head and quirked an eyebrow at his distracted demeanor.

"Hmm…?" he 'asked' again.

"Do you want to go, or are you too tired?" Sakura stroke the side of his face and closed her eyes in bliss when his lips opened to lick her skin.

"If you want to go…" his mouth curled, "…but you have to pay me back later…"

"…If you want to…" she mumbled absentmindedly, not at all minding the fact that his hand crept dangerously close to her chest area.

"Or…" he unbuttoned on of the buttons on her blouse, "…do you want to pay in advance?"

"Just make sure I can take the additional costs later…" she mumbled and let her husband sneak his hand inside her blouse and gently cup her covered breast.

However, just when he was about to proceed and feel the flesh beneath the cloth, a rough knock came from the door, and snapped Sakura violently from her distracted pleasure. Immediately, she stepped away from Itachi and buttoned her blouse, quickly checking her hair in the window before unlocking the door, not at all minding Itachi standing directly behind her. She knew who it was even before she opened the door.

"Tsunade-sama!" she tried to muster a smile, but it became half-hearted. "W-What brings you here?"

The busty blonde smirked, a smirk full of mischief. "Did I interrupt something?" she asked, raising an eyebrow at her former student.

"Of course not!"

"In fact, you did."

Sakura turned to stare at Itachi with such a comical expression he had to chuckle a little, after all, it's not every day she stands with a widely open mouth and a 'what the hell' look in her eyes. How dare he to betray her like that!

"Itachi!" she blushed furiously and hit him on the chest.

"Do you not remember the code you swore when you became a ninja? 'I will always serve and tell the Hokage nothing but the truth'?" he smirked, snaking his arm around her waist.

"Don't you go smart on me, Uchiha!" she looked away, "…or charming, for that matter…"

"Of course not," he raised his gaze to the very amused blond in front of them. "What was it you were going to tell my wife, Hokage-sama?" he squeezed the woman in his arms a bit, clearly indicating he was not letting her go on a mission any time soon.

"Well, I was going to ask her to visit my patients since I got an important meeting too go to… But I see she has more important duties here, so I will just ask someone else," Tsunade smirked naughtily.

"And what do you mean by that?!" Sakura shrieked.

"You know what I'm talking about, Sakura! Duties, like ensuring a new heir and such," the blonde had never seen her protégé so red in the face.

"Shishou!" poor Sakura was the color of blood from neck to ears.

"Oh, but you know it's true!" Tsunade blinked and grabbed the handle of the door, blinking to Itachi as she closed the door, "have fun!"

"Shishou!" the petite doctor could absolutely not believe what she was hearing; her shishou _wanted_ her to have sex with Itachi! How could something like this even be possible?!!

"I think we should just follow her advise…" Sakura gasped when her husband locked the door once again.

"What the--HYA!!"

Outside, Shizune was reluctantly wondering if she wanted to know what had happened inside that door…

-

"So, I was thinking we could go together! You know, as a double date," Uchiha Shisui looked hopefully at his cousins wife, giving her puppy eyes and a pout.

Sakura only raised an eyebrow. "I thought you wanted to be alone with Amarante?" she asked and received a file from the nurse behind the disk.

"Of course I want to be alone with her, but it would be much more fun if we had someone to go with…" he paused and looked to the side, a small blush on his cheeks, "…and I wanted something that would distract her so I can…" he didn't continue, but at the shocked gasp Sakura made he guessed she got his point.

"You're going to propose?!" she hissed under her breath.

His cheeks darkened, "yeah… If you don't have any problem with it…" Aw… Shisui could be so cute when he wanted!!

"Of course not! I'm happy you want to do it! It was just a bit sudden…" a wide smile spread over her face.

"So… you think she will accept?" he asked uncertainly, playing with his fingers.

"Of course she will! I think she has been waiting for this her entire life!" Sakura patted her cousin-in-law on the shoulder. "And so have you."

"At least since I met her…" his ears were beginning to flame red as well. The childish pout on his lips soon transformed into a smile when he reached into his pocket after a small velvet box. He flipped it open and revealed a golden ring with an amethyst. Sakura squealed at the sight.

"Oh my god! It's beautiful! Shisui, how did you know she loved amethysts?!" her high-pitched voice would easily be detected if they had not been in the cellar.

"I didn't…I just thought it looks like her hair…" he looked down into the ground.

"Aw… you're so cute, Shisui!" she gave him a clap on the cheek and turned away from him.

"I'll tell your glorious plan to Itachi, so he can help you, in one way or another," Sakura smiled over her shoulder and waved, "now get out of here before Amarante suspects something!"

"Sure!" Shisui said, "and thank you, Sakura-chan!"

"No problem, just make sure you make her happy, or I'll kill you!" she looked down on the chart in her hands.

"I will!" were the last words of Shisui before he ran up the stairs, probably to go and get ready for tonight (he did after all take his time preparing…).

-

"You look beautiful, Saku-chan!" Amarante squealed with delight at her handiwork.

"Yeah… I do! Thanks, Ama-chan!" Sakura said and threw her cousin a wide smile through the mirror. Her pink locks were up in a bun, showing of the tomoes of the sharingan surrounding the Uchiha crest on her back. The red kimono was for her an entirely new one, since she could no longer wear her old ones, since the arms were far to long, and that would be signaling her as an unmarried woman. So, Mikoto kindly prepared a kimono she had worn herself in her younger days.

"_I wore it the night I became pregnant with Itachi!"_

Now that would be interesting to tell her husband…

Amarante herself wore a white kimono, and unlike her cousin, she had the long sleeves, since she had no idea what would happen tonight. Her purple hair curled in long locks down her back.

"Maybe we should be going, Itachi and Shisui is waiting," she grabbed the turquoise fan on the cabinet by the wall, and blinked at her cousin behind the fan, "we can't let them outstand the torture of not seeing such beautiful creatures any longer."

Sakura giggled, and grabbed the black fan she had on the make-up table she sat by. After grabbing it she stood up, showing of the black obi around her body and her creamy legs the kimono did not cover. "Let's go," she smiled and walked out the door, onto the roka. They had been almost forced to make themselves ready at the main house, since Mikoto was all too stubborn to let them dress in kimono by themselves, and she absolutely wanted to see her son and nephew in formal clothing too.

The two beautiful women walked through the mansion, long eyelashes fluttering childishly all the while and red lips moving in lively chatter about nothing important at all.

It was only when they entered the dining room that the two became quiet and stared at the two men sitting impatiently at the table. Shisui wore a dark green kimono, making the green tint in his black eyes stand out. His hair, that was usually up in a high ponytail, was let down, hanging over his shoulder. At the sight of the girls he immediately lit up and quickly went to his lover.

"You look beautiful, Amarante," he whispered after flashing his gaze over her body several times, making his female counterpart blush.

"Thanks… you too," she said shyly. Both were so adorable when they were embarrassed!

Sakura smiled at them before looking at her husband, who already was on his way to her. Her breath hitched when she saw him. The kimono he wore was pitch black apart from small crests on his collar, and probably on his back. Now she truly understood why Mikoto was so desperate for her son to wear formal clothing.

"You remind me of an angel descending from the heavens, Sakura," he said and stroke her cheek, snapping her out from her baffled thoughts. Her face reddened, and she looked down.

"Y-you too…" she whispered and shifted uncomfortably. Her skin matched the color of her kimono when he chuckled.

"Thank you, _darling_," he breathed against her ear, making her fine hairs stand up pleasantly.

"You're welcome…" she sighed dreamily and searched for his hand by his side. He seemed to notice her aimless hunt, and caught her hand with his own, entwining his fingers with hers.

"Hey Itachi, you don't have the time to make Sakura make sweet love with you right now, we have a festival to go to!" Shisui snorted and waved for them to follow him and his lady company.

"Shisui!" Sakura yelped and tried to turn her head to glare at said man, but she was stopped by her husband who held her chin.

A mischievous smirk covered his face, "but later." The words had the doctor melting, and her knees suddenly got far to weak from her liking and she had to grab his hand extra tight to keep herself from going of to lala-land. Not that it helped when he gave her a chaste kiss, before dragging her with him.

She almost tripped over her own feet when she was pulled through the mansion by Itachi, and was only allowed to regain her composure when they reached the entrance, where Shisui was currently working on seducing Amarante, and it was quite effective, if you wanted to believe her red face.

"Shisui, I do not think my parents would appreciate it if you tore Amarante's clothes off out here," Itachi commented when he saw the perverted look on his cousins face.

"What the?! I'm not gonna do that! I would never!!" Shisui protested and frowned at the clan heir.

"We know that's a lie more than you do, Shi-chan," Sakura smiled when she stepped into her traditional getas.

"S-Sakura-chan…" Amarante mumbled, her face turning even redder than the blood flowing through her veins.

"Oh, nothing to be embarrassed about, Ama-chan, these two aren't best friends for nothing!" she smirked when Itachi raised a surprised eyebrow at her.

"If I recall correctly, it was you who kissed me first," Itachi smirked slightly when his wife gawked at him.

"That's not something you tell others!" she scolded him, grabbing the arm of Amarante. "If you're gonna be mean to me, I'll go with Ama-chan instead!" she stuck her tongue, and her cousin laughed when they walked out the door. Itachi and Shisui was left in the mansion, looking at each other.

"If you don't hurry up you'll lose your wife, Ita-chan," Shisui said, glancing at his cousin emotionlessly.

"And you will lose the chance of getting a wife, Shi-chan," Itachi said and walked after his lovely life partner and her relative.

"Damn it!" Shisui never got to win.

-

"Hey, do you want to get something to eat?"

"Only if I don't pay the bill," Sakura said with a smile and hugged the arm of her husband. He had only won her back from her cousin when he won her a necklace, and saying sorry for being a meanie.

"I get your point, Sakura-chan," Amarante smiled and squeezed the hand of the mirage ninja by her side.

"Why are you so mean to me?!" said (unbelievable) ninja whined, even if he did feel very satisfied about the small squeezes he got.

"Because you need a reason to feel sorry for yourself," Itachi said, inwardly smirking when he got a glare.

"That's not very nice, Itachi-kun," Sakura looked up at the taller male she was walking beside, giving him a nonchalant look.

"I have never been good at being nice," he said and glanced down at her when she pressed herself against his arm and body.

"I never noticed…" she said huskily and looked at him through her lashes.

"Hey, why don't we eat at Ichiraku? It's been a while since I've been there, and it _is_ a festival, after all," Amarante pointed at the ramen bar, but put her hand down when Sakura's face twitched.

"I'm sure Naruto will be there, or he will spot us there, and then he won't leave us alone. Why don't we just get some takayaki or something and find somewhere to sit?" she suggested, clearly not wanting her fake brother to bother her and her husband.

"Oh… Yeah, you might have a point…" Amarante frowned in thought. "Alright, takayaki it is!"

While the two women dragged their men behind them the two abovementioned felt that their opinion really mattered.

-

"Itachi! Give me that!" Sakura whined and tried to reach the paper bag her husband held out of reach for her. The two had discreetly 'lost' their cousins to give Shisui enough time to do what he had set out to do, and that was to put a ring on Amarantes finger.

So, the already married couple had found a spot near the inside the Uchiha complex they decided to sit down on and enjoy the snack they had bought. But just as Sakura was about to get one of them, her sneaky husband quickly snatched the paper bag from her and held it higher than she could reach.

"Itachi! I'm hungry! I want to eat!" she said and tugged at his sleeve in a vain attempt to get him to lower his arm.

"Why would that concern me?" he asked, smirking down at her shorter form.

She backed away from him and gave him a nasty glare. "Hm… I was just thinking of moving in with Sasuke…" at her words a growl sounded from the male beside her and he wrapped an arm possessively around her waist and pulled her against him.

"You will not," he commanded.

"That depends on if you're gonna let me starve to death or not," she looked to the side, her face bland, but her eyes shone with amusement.

She gasped when he leaned down to kiss her, and pressed her to him. And just to tease him, she broke away immediately.

"What was that for?" she asked, faking a glare at him.

He hugged her closer to him and smirked, "you never said exactly _what_ you wanted to eat…"

Sakura couldn't hold the surprise she experienced, and gawked at her husband, but recovered quickly and tugged at his collar, a naughty smile on her face. He leaned down and she put her lips against his ear. "You know, your mother wore this kimono when she became pregnant for the first time…" she whispered seductively, using a little bit more air than needed to say it.

His body went tense, but soon he attacked her again, letting his hands run over her body and his lips claim hers as his own (which they surely were, as far as he was concerned). His warm fingers sneakily snaked beneath the short skirt of her kimono, and stroke her smooth legs tenderly.

Her own hand didn't rest either. They stroke his chest through his kimono, and she began untying everything that needed be, at least around his trousers. He backed her against a tree, both forgetting everything except each other. She ground her pelvis against his as he kissed her, moaning into the kiss.

He let her lips go, only to attack her neck when she freed him from his dress-pants, lifting her up and pressing her against the tree trunk. His harden ground against her as he rocked his hips against her, eager to enter her, but waiting for her to get ready. He pulled up her kimono to only have their underwear separating them, much to their shared chagrin.

"Itachi…" she moaned, and wrapped her legs tightly around his hips, grinding roughly against him. She continued to mumble his name as he pleasured her, not caring if anyone caught them, or heard them.

Not having the patience to resist any longer, Sakura tugged at his boxers and let his member free, earning her a relieved sigh. Her heart jumped with excitement when he reached between her thighs and stroke her before he pushed her panties to the side. As he held them in place he eagerly pushed inside her, feeling her wet warmth around him. She moaned when he grabbed her bottom and began bouncing her against his hips, making her moan loudly.

He caught her mouth with his, and kissed her fiercely, while pushing against her furiously. Her fists pulled at his kimono's back, feeling her orgasm nearing fast. "I-Itachi… I'm…" her words were interrupted by her moans and her stiffening as her orgasm washed over her, and her husband following suit.

He panted breathily in her ear, and slowly got down on his knees, all the while kissing the face and neck of his wife. His lips massaged her smooth skin tenderly before biting down. She sighed at the feeling, hugging him close.

However, suddenly she remembered just where they were, and she began to tug at his shoulder.

"Hmm…?" he huffed irritably, nuzzling her chest.

"We're _outside_! So don't you think it's kinda risky staying like this?" her talking was speeded up by her nervousness.

"You did not mind it a moment ago, _Sa-ku-ra,_" he drawled out.

"A moment ago was a moment ago," she retorted and lifted herself off him, much to his displeasure. She stood up and rearranged her clothing, taking her time to neatly straighten the obi. She was so consumed by her task she failed to notice her husband sneaking up behind her.

Without her noticing him, he put a finger by her knee, and quickly pulled it up to the hem of her kimono, making her squeal in surprise.

"Itachi! Don't do that!" she scolded, glaring at him.

He only smirked in reply, signaling that he would continue doing it as long as she would respond like that, and held up the bag with taiyaki.

"Taiyaki!" Sakura exclaimed and walked up to him and grabbed the bag and quickly got one of the snacks, which had cooled down by now. Before he had the time to take it away from her once again she bit down on the head, tasting vanilla cream as well as the crunchy surface.

Itachi amusedly watched her, stealing the bag from her and got one of the fish shaped snacks and tasted it, from the tail.

"I never knew you appreciated food so much, Sakura," he smirked when he noticed she had almost eaten half the fish, in a very rapid tempo.

"I usually don't, but since I have been _starving_," she gave him a fake glare, "for hours I do."

"My apologies. But you enjoyed, at least the last hour, of it," he widened his smirk when she blushed adorably.

"Smartass…" she mumbled and sat down, folding her legs beneath her. She took another bite and grumbled when she was pulled backwards, onto a lap. "What are you doing?"

"Isn't it obvious?" he asked and reached over her shoulder to take a bite of her taiyaki.

"Hey, you have your own!" she scolded and held her snack away from his far to kissable mouth.

"I wanted to see if your tasted better or not," he said.

"And what makes you think it does?"

"Do you really want me to answer that?" he purred, his eyes becoming half lidded, and his tongue came out to lick his lips.

For unknown reasons Sakura felt her mouth become dry, and she had to swallow to keep her breath from sounding all to ragged. And Itachi, being the Uchiha bastard he have swiftly denied he is, noticed and trailed her neck with his nose. Her body started shaking from the sensation, and she leaned against him.

"I-Itachi… Shouldn't we go home first?" she asked, and took a sharp breath.

"It works just as well here…" god damn it, he's such a horny dog.

"Someone might come…" she moaned when his lips trailed the marks he had created during the day.

"That is not a problem…in the compound…" he hissed, squeezing her waist.

"You're right…" as his wife, she had gotten used to his…_eagerness_…and no longer found his startling energy strange. Any normal man would be satisfied for the night with one round of outdoor sex, but since Itachi was anything but normal she never gave it a thought even if he wanted ten rounds (the fact that he was practically a sex god kept her from questioning his marvelous actions).

She turned on the spot in his lap, and straddled his hips, throwing the taiyaki over her shoulder. She fluttered her long lashes at him, and wrapped her arms around his neck and pouted at him. "Can I be on to this time?"

Her words seemed to be _very_ pleasing to him, as he smirked.

"I don't know, will you be a good girl?"

"Of course not," she purred from the back of her throat, and leaned against his ear, "I'm gonna be a _very _bad girl…"

They could only give each other a heated look before an explosion erased all of their former thoughts and they both looked against the village, seeing a giant smoke cloud forming.

"What the---

She didn't finish before Itachi in some strange way got them both to stand up in a swift motion. His hands on her arms were gripping her hard, and she almost had to wince at the pressure. She looked up and noticed the sharingan in his eyes, and fierce rage shone in them.

"Itachi--

"Go to the mansion, and you have to stay there until I come to get you," he growled, without looking at her.

"Huh? I have to go to the hospital!" she protested.

"Sakura, do as I tell you," he said, giving her a hard stare.

"But I have to get to the hospital and treat the wounded--

"Sakura," his ice cold voice immediately shut her up.

"You're not the only shinobi here, you know," irritation swelled in her chest, and another explosion shook the air.

"You're the safest there, so please, just go there," Itachi gave her a fierce kiss before he disappeared, leaving the cherry blossom dazed and confused. Why was it that she did not have the authority to do her job all of a sudden?

Ignoring his command, she speeded of in the direction of the hospital, she was sure the nurses there would need all the help they could get soon. Below her people were panicking, civilians running away from the turmoil in the centre, and shinobi running towards it. Her green eyes searched for anyone she knew, and spotted a orange dot among the many other colors and smiled to herself when she identified the dot as her spiky haired fake brother.

Unfortunately, she should have paid more attention to her surroundings instead of her jinchuuriki friend, and that she realized when her kimono was ripped by a kunai, missing her leg with mere millimeters. She turned around, and to her surprise stared at a four-eyed man with grey hair in a pony tail, Kabuto.

"Hello, Haruno-san," he smirked when his form appeared right above her, and his fist drew back to gather power for a punch.

"Hello, Shitface," she snarled, and with chakra in her arm came at him much faster than he came at her, and landed a nice hit against his cheek, making him fly away from her, only to disappear in a poof.

"Shit…" she mumbled and turned around, looking at the roof she was going to land on, and noticed that god damned man standing right there. So, enhancing her foot with a _little_ bit of chakra she crashed down on the roof, noticing the stupid freak jumping away. Before the dust settled she dashed out and formed a chakra scalpel in her hand, aiming it at the smirking man.

"You haven't changed since last time, Haruno-san," he smirked and blocked her hand.

At his comment she tsk-ed. The last time they had faced each other the bastard had called her incompetent and weak, as well as a pitiful medic, hitting several weak spots. To repay him that time, she had implanted a deep wound in his abdomen before he retreated, following the snake man he served.

"Yes I have, I'm not Haruno Sakura anymore," she drove her knee up and missed his precious area with a hair.

"Oh? Married someone, have we?" he smirked.

"Oh yes, and he isn't particularly fond of your master," he raised his brows in surprise, letting Sakura deliver a nice kick to his side, making him fly across several houses, and she immediately chased after him.

"S-so you've married Sasuke, huh?" he smirked as he struggled to get up, blood running down his chin.

"Sasuke is my brother-in-law, idiot," she noticed his renewed surprise, and she dived down with her fist ready to end his life with a squish, but unfortunately he recovered quickly, and jumped away.

"This is a surprising development…" he mumbled, but then smirked.

"And why the hell are you smirking, freak?" Sakura squinted her eyes angrily at him, and grit her teeth when he nonchalantly shrugged.

"Nothing in particular," he chuckled. Then, without warning, he sent a kunai in her direction, and she was barely able to dodge it by side stepping.

Her eyes spit fire at him, and if her gaze was as deadly as those of the clan she nowadays belonged too, Kabuto would be a pile of dirt by now. But since it was not, she had to use her just as deadly fists instead.

Kabuto jumped away when she ran against him, and the chase was on.

Sakura pumped chakra through her legs and arms as she launched them at her opponent, growling in frustration when she succeeded in nothing else than distorting his steps. He still had that god damned smirk and she felt her anger raise by the second, and if she missed him for much longer she feared she would go on a rampage (more than she was now, anyway…).

Suddenly she heard something approach her from behind and was about to turn around when the person grabbed her arms in an iron grip and held her chin in a very dangerous angle. She froze when she felt cold air hit her neck, and an insanely long tongue trailed her skin. Her breath caught in her throat, she knew who stood behind her.

Long snakes trailed up her arms and down her legs, immobilizing her completely.

"Long time no see, Sakura," she managed to catch a glimpse of his pale face before she felt a rough hit on her pressure point. Her head pounded, and her vision rapidly lessened, and the last thing she saw was Itachi's terrified face.

Word count: 5497

Woooooooooh!!! Cliffhanger!!! And oh my god! Only one chapter left!!!

This was a pain in the ass Dx I was so stressed, and towards the end something chocking happened in my life, so it took quite a while to finish. And I know that the ending and fight is crappy, as I said, something REALLY bad happened to me so I blame it on that (and I suck at fighting in general, but anyway…).

And I have to mention, the only person who remembered (at least mentioned) the Orochimaru stuff was Nikolaevna, and I was quite surprised when she mentioned it… ^^

Anyway, if you want the last chapter, cheer me up with some reviews!! Plieasie?


	8. Chapter 8

**Chapter VIII**

**The Secret of Sakura**

Her head rang with a piping sound as she fought to open her eyes without throwing up. Every time her eyelids raised her vision was blurry and she felt like she had been twirling around for ages while looking up. She didn't have any control over her limbs, it hurt every time she tried to move.

Blinking multiply times she managed to focus her gaze at her surroundings, still with much difficulty thanks to the dim light from a candle standing on a cupboard. She obviously was locked inside some kind of cell, because the walls were nothing but stone, carelessly carved out of a mountain and the door was made of thick steel.

She tried to move her arms, only to notice that they were chained above her head. Her feet were also chained, but separately to the ground. Her body was drained, and she barely had the strength to lift her head and stare at the person entering the room through the door.

"I see you have woken up, Sakura-san," the voice of Orochimaru, the one and only, made her stomach turn over once again. He closed the door and walked against her, smirking. "Although barely though," he mussed amusedly.

"Shut up, bastard," Sakura sneered, glaring at the black haired man.

"That's not a very nice thing to say to your host, Sakura-san," he chuckled.

"You're not my host, shit-face," she hissed and tried to scoot away from his kneeling form.

"There is no point in trying to run away, you won't be able to leave anyway," he laughed when she gave him another glare.

"What the hell did you take me here for?" she asked, still warning him with her eyes.

He 'giggled', "your bloodline of course."

"Bloodline?" she stared strangely at him, "just because my name is Uchiha doesn't mean I have the sharingan, idiot."

He let out a loud laugh. "Oh, poor Sakura-san! You do not even know about your bloodline? Well, it's not surprising, considering who your parents are," he breathed out, trying to regain his breath.

"Don't you dare talk down on my parents!" she said angrily, her energy coming back.

"Of course not, Sakura-san," he moved closer to her, and set a hand on her pale thigh, "I'll tell you about your bloodline, after I have done what you have too do to obtain it…"

Sakura's eyes widened in horror when his fingers slowly slid the kimono up her leg…

-

"I am sure all of you know what you are doing here, and the reason for it," Tsunade said, staring hard at the eight men in front of her. They all looked grim, and the bloodlust emitting from the most powerful was unmistaken.

"Sakura has been kidnapped by Orochimaru, and I called you to issue orders to you all," the blonde frowned and tried hard to not let tears slip past her amber irises. At the mention of the culprit the temperature raised unexpectedly.

"And those orders are, Tsunade-sama?" Itachi asked stiffly, his voice rough with suppressed emotion.

"Itachi and Shisui will hunt after Sakura, the rest of you are to remain here," at the command the youngest blonde in the room exploded.

"What the hell?! Baa-chan, we all have to go and get that bastard!!" Naruto growled, his canines showing off their impressive length as he growled with animalistic rage.

"No, you are not. All members of team 7 are not to leave the village until Sakura has returned," she shifted her gaze to the other blonde man, "Agito-san may travel outside the village to greet Itachi and Shisui when they come back, but you are not to go with them the entire way."

"I understand," Agito muttered, his clear gaze was darkening by the second.

"Well I sure as hell don't!!" the kyuubi vessel banged his fist down in the Hokage's desk, his eyes turning redder.

"Naruto, calm down, and I will explain!!" Tsunade also banged her fist into the desk, and broke it in half. Scared off, Naruto's eyes returned to normal.

"Itachi and Shisui are the fastest here, and the most skilled. Their genjutsu and sharingan will be helpful in the rescue of Sakura. Shisui has the ability to manipulate his opponents, and he have a body flicker technique almost matching that of the fourth Hokage. Itachi is going because he is Sakura's husband, of course, and he is the only one here who can beat Orochimaru without endangering the mission or himself all to badly--

"Then why can't I go?" Sasuke asked, stepping forward and put a calming hand on Naruto's shoulder.

"No one in team 7 can go, you would all be too emotional both before and after Sakura's rescue. I think that the only one she will stand to meet emotionally is Itachi, all of you others would be to troubling for her to face," Tsunade lowered her gaze.

"Sakura-chan is our teammate!"

"That's the exact reason!!" Tsunade yelled, no longer being able to stop her stressed nerves. "How do you think Sakura will react if I send you and you all would be asking her questions, telling her things or blaming her?!"

Naruto stood still, frozen in shock.

"Do not only consider you own emotions, Naruto! If I hadn't been forced to stay here I would be on my way right now!!" the busty woman cried, her tears rolling down her cheeks.

"But why did Orochimaru want Sakura? Surely he didn't invade Konoha to get to Itachi, did he?" Yamato asked.

"One of the goals Orochimaru had was surely to get to Itachi, since he want's his body…however…" the hokage glanced at the father of her apprentice. He nodded slightly.

"Orochimaru also wants Sakura's bloodline," Tsunade sat down with a sigh and looked out the window.

"Bloodline? Sakura-chan doesn't have a bloodline! We've been--

"You didn't know because she didn't know either. And even if she did, I doubt she would tell you anything about it," Agito said, facing the team that was every enemies nightmare.

"I have never heard of a bloodline within the Haruno clan, except exceptional chakra control and skills with genjutsu," Kakashi said, frowning.

"Only high positioned people, such as the Hokage and a few clan heads know about it. Basically, people we Haruno feel that we can trust, like the Uchiha clan. That is probably why you never heard of it, Kakashi-san," Agito explained, looking over to Itachi.

"Itachi and Shisui have known for a very long time, since their mothers are best friends with my wife and her sister," the blonde man sighed sadly.

"So, what is this bloodline then?" Sai asked, his fake smile gone for once.

"Giving an enormous amount of chakra…" Agito muttered, but then stopped.

"…through sexual contact," Itachi finished, his voice was dripping with the urge to kill, and his knuckles turned white as he fisted his hands.

The room became quiet. Naruto turned as pale as Sai, and the already pale men became a sickly blue. It wasn't long before Tsunade broke down and cried, and tears slipped down Agito's cheeks too.

"W-what? S-Sakura-chan is…" the poor vessel couldn't form the correct sentence as he stumbled against the wall, leaning against it. His body was shaking, and his eyes were watery. "I-is that the reason…" he looked up at Itachi, "is that the reason the two of you were engaged?!"

Only Shisui noticed the twitch of Itachi's hand.

"You used her body and couldn't even protect her?!" oh, now he said it.

No one noticed the movement of the clan heir before there was a rough bang, and Naruto was pressed up against the wall with a tight grip on his neck. He coughed and fought to get loose, without much success. He opened his eyes to stare at glowing ruby.

The other people in the room found it impossible to move, the entire room was filled with Itachi's chakra, even their lungs was hesitant about breathing the heavy air. A feeling of needles stabbing skin had them all wincing.

"Don't you dare say anything like that," his voice was colder than ice, "don't you dare say that I used her." His grip tightened. "I have been protecting her from the very day she was born. Do you really think I would marry her just to use her?"

"Itachi! Let go of him!" Tsunade yelled, her voice high pitched.

Tsk-ing Itachi loosened the grip before letting go completely. He stepped away and balled his fist again. "Can we head out, Tsunade-sama?" Itachi asked, his tone was just as stiff as his body.

"…yes," they blinked, and the two Uchiha's were gone.

-

"Itachi! We have to think about a plan before entering!" Shisui called as he tried to keep up with his outraged cousin.

"I have one, obliterate everything and everyone who comes in our way," Itachi hissed angrily.

"That's not a plan! You probably don't even know where we're going!" the not so smart man yelled.

Itachi glanced over his shoulder, "our rings…"

"Huh? Those are chakra rings?!" Shisui gasped, that kind of rings were extremely rare and expensive (not that the later was a problem for their family, but still…).

"Most married clan heirs have one," the genius Uchiha explained, looking ahead again.

"Ah, I see!" Shisui smiled in understanding, "but we still need--

"More moving and less talking, Shisui," Itachi growled.

"Uh… yeah…"

-

Itachi felt a cold shiver run through his body when the hideout came in sight, at the same time as his blood burned in his veins and his eyes became flaming crimson. He heard Shisui panting beside him, but ignored it and headed for the far-too-obvious entrance. He purposely stepped on a branch, making the sound echo throughout the clearing and inside the dark tunnel. His carefully suppressed chakra was let loose when he set foot on the stone floor, making the wind blow, raising dust from the ground and loose stones fell to the ground.

Shisui, who walked just behind his cousin, felt a shock wave go through him. His muscles tensed and his senses suddenly was put in high alert as respond to the imposing force. He obviously knew about the difference in chakra levels when having sexual intercourse with a Haruno, but still, he never knew that it could be this…_mighty_.

Unpleasant shivers went up and down his body with every step he took, he could sense the agony and bloodlust oozing from the four walls surrounding them. It was truly frightening, walking aimlessly towards the dark, in a lair belonging to one of the most powerful and feared criminals in the world. But Itachi obviously didn't realize it, or was just ignoring it, as the prideful Uchiha he is.

Shisui had to force himself not to mewl nervously when a sound, sounding almost like a hungry _growl_, came from the depths. He could almost swear that his cousin growled back at it.

"I see you have arrived," the humorous voice of Kabuto echoed in the dark corridor and he walked out of the shadows in a corner.

"Where is Sakura?" Itachi demanded an immediate answer, if not…who knows…

"In a hurry, Itachi-kun? It doesn't matter even if you do, it's already to late for--

Kabuto let out a pained cry as he was smashed up against the wall, spitting blood, bleeding from the hole in his stomach where Itachi held his katana. He looked up, into blazing sharingan, and froze at the intensiveness, almost as if he was under a paralysis genjutsu. The smirk faltered from his face, when he noticed the chakra circling the sword, visible with the naked eye.

"W-what are…" he couldn't continue when he felt his insides clench.

"Blowing up your organs…" Itachi smirked sadistically, much like the grey haired man had done so many times. Not even when pained screams affected him visibly.

Shisui watched in almost horror as the skin on the stabbed monster started to melt, and what frightened him most was that this was _not_ a genjutsu. He felt his stomach turnover when all tissue on the grey haired man literally turned into a pool of mixed body substances. In all his years as a shinobi, he had never seen anything so disgusting.

Itachi, seemingly unaffected, pulled his katana out of the wall and sheeted it once again, his eyes dark with hatred. He started to walk down the corridor on his right, not waiting for his shocked cousin. Soon he reached a door with light coming out from beneath it. He heard Shisui breathing behind him, the inhale came to an abrupt end when he reached for the handle.

He turned the knob, and opened the door, calmly walking in, with a most impressive aura. The air was strangely tight, rasping their breaths.

In the huge cave room there was a large throne, formed out of snakes made by stone. The many candles lit the room enough to fool the day there was a window. But no such thing was visible, but still, the stonewalls and pillars threw shadows over the floor. The slightest sound echoed, even the action of exhaling bounced of the walls multiple times.

"Hello, Itachi-kun," said man stopped, seemingly unaffected by the presence of the man who dared to kidnap his wife, the man who dared to touch the woman belonging to _the most powerful Uchiha alive_.

Itachi didn't say anything, only his lashes fell slightly, giving him an almost sleepy look. Shisui watched in terror at his cousin's calm behavior, he could not even _imagine_ what was running through his head at the moment, seeing what he did only moments ago. If there was one thing Shisui knew, it was to never get close to the younger male when he was in this state.

Only a few times before he had seen him behave like this. The first time when he was nine, he came home with tainted clothes, dirt and blood stains covering his clothes and face, scaring his mother to near death. When she had asked what had happened he only uttered one sentence in five days.

"_They dared to touch her…"_

That was the first time Shisui ever heard of his cousin's obsession with the petite Haruno, even if he had no idea it was her back then. He barely knew who she was, he had only met her once when she was playing with Amarante when he and his parents came to visit her mother.

The second time Itachi showed this frightening anger was eight years later, right after the failed Chunin exams. He had lingered around the hospital for days, worryingly stalking around on the emergency ward, sneaking into the room his future wife was resting, unconscious. When the doctors came with the fearful news that they did not know when she was going to wake up, or even if, he had gone to the training ground in the deepest part of the Uchiha compound. Two days later when Mikoto went to check on him there was nothing left to be called training ground, barely even ground.

'_This have to be what they call true love…'_ Shisui thought to himself, wanting to laugh at the cliché story-book line. But this surely was no time to laugh.

"Where is she?" Itachi's dark voice was hoarse, demanding.

Orochimaru laughed, "my, have you lost your manners, Itachi-kun?" He stood up, raising his hand.

"Do you not want to know what I did to her first?" he asked, with that disgusting voice that made it sound like he laughed whenever he used it.

The Uchiha prodigy narrowed his eyes and a frown appeared on his handsome face. "Tell me where she is," he was getting painfully impatient, feeling the rage boil in his body.

"Maybe, but still, I want you to hear what I did to her, Itachi-kun," the snake smirked, "as thanks for killing Kabuto."

Itachi clenched his jaw.

"You should have seen her hard eyes, transforming into a horrified stare as tears flowed down her beautiful cheeks, landing on her chest…" Orochimaru smirked, he obviously noticed the further stiffening of the Uchiha's. "I slowly removed her kimono as she cried for me to stop…and cried for your help, Itachi-kun."

Itachi was shaking by now, his face turned downwards.

"I entered her, feeling how tight she was, making her scream for you in pain and desperation--

"Shut up!!" Itachi suddenly yelled. His eyes were wide, his pupils small and blood seeped from them.

Shisui gasped, it couldn't possibly be…but it was there, right in front of his eyesight.

_Mangekyou Sharingan._

He uncertainly looked down on himself, having to see if he was dead or not. Nothing wrong.

'_Then what the hell?!'_ no one had ever forcibly activated the secret doujutsu, the elders had never mentioned it either. It was supposed to be impossible to activate it if you did not kill your best friend.

"I-Itachi…T-those eyes…" he mumbled in shock, only being able to stare wide-eyed at the terrible miracle.

"Don't you dare touch her!!" Itachi screamed, his face showing the most emotion it ever had. The blood trickled down his cheeks, dripping down on the ground.

"To late to tell me that now, Itachi-kun," Orochimaru smirked wider, "I already did."

"Shut up, shut up, shut up!!" the prodigy was breathing heavily, his teeth clenched and his eyes shone with utter hate.

Shisui had no chance of catching the sudden movement of his cousin, and gasped when he heard the clash of swords echo. Itachi had drawn his katana, and so had Orochimaru, both releasing their chakra, making it harder to breathe properly.

'_What are those eyes?'_ Orochimaru wondered, and gasped when he felt his consciousness get sucked into an alternative world of this one.

He stood on a field, but there was nothing even resembling colors on the ground, only a grayish black, with white outlines. He looked up and saw the red sky with a blood moon hanging alluringly over him. The field suddenly transformed into an ocean, or lake, stretching to the horizon all around him, leaving him with a feeling of insignificance. He turned around multiple times, confused, scared.

Where was this place, he wondered, and was chocked to find that the former energy of the extra chakra he had taken from Sakura was nowhere to be found within himself.

"Where is this?!" he yelled, looking for something as he twirled around, and caught sight of the man who's body he so dearly desired.

"This…" Itachi looked at his hand, a calm expression covering his face, "…is Tsukiyomi."

"What?"

"One of the three eye techniques achieved when you succeed on attaining the Mangekyou sharingan. A world, impossible to break out from, created by the one wielding the eyes of gods," Itachi smirked, "a world where the creator decides the rules of nature, time and mass. A world which ninety-nine percent of the visitors never get out of alive…"

Orochimaru gasped, and notice that his limbs had been strapped to a crucifix, and no matter how hard he tried to tear away, he got nowhere.

"Your resistance is futile, Orochimaru… Now, I will let you become my guinea pig…" the Uchiha was grinning almost insanely.

The snake man watched in horror as a sword appeared in the prodigy's hands. And he screamed when it pierced his leg, and twisted around. Then there was another stab he looked down, and realized there was not only one Uchiha standing in front of him, but a thousand.

"Orochimaru, for every second you are alive, I shall kill you," Itachi smirked, finally being allowed to test _everything_ he had ever thought of as torture. On the man he hated the most. The man who had the amount insanity to touch what was his.

"I-Itachi, t-those eyes--

Shisui stopped talking when he heard a blood shilling scream, and Orochimaru fell down to the ground. Itachi lowered his sword and stumbled, the intense chakra disappearing, allowing both of them to breath freely once again. He let out a pained moan and brought his hand up to his eyes, trying to lessen the immense throbbing. He deactivated his sharingan, finding that the pain was suited when he did so. When he opened his eyelids he saw the red covering his hand, but was not shocked. Somehow, he had forcibly activated one of the ultimate secrets of his clan, and there was sure to be consequences for it.

"Itachi, are you ok?" Shisui appeared by his side, carefully watching the body of the sannin. "What happ--

"Sakura…" Itachi mumbled, raising his left hand, taking of the glove with his teeth, revealing the golden band on his finger. "Where is she…?" he sounded exhausted, and Shisui was sure that without the extra chakra from Sakura he would have surely been dead by now.

The ring gloved with a faint light, showing a trail of chakra before his inner eye though the wall. His eyes were painfully strained, but still he raised his sword, and with movements to fast to catch with the eye, he sliced the wall, panting hard.

The stone crumbled down, revealing a dark room, barely illuminated by a lone candle, and the ones in the bigger hall. By the wall, a small figure was laying, wrapped in remains of clothing.

Itachi swallowed hard, and jumped over the remains of the throne, landing beside the small and fragile body of his wife.

He gently lifted her up, turning her face against his. It was dirty, bruises and dirt marring her fair skin. Her hair was out of the bun it had been in when he last saw her, and the pink brilliance was mixed with brown. He gently, with shaking hand, brushed a strand away from her eyes, gently stroking her temple and cheek. He tried to wake her up with his gentle touches, whispering soft words against her forehead as he cradled her.

His shoulders were shaking, and for the first time on his life he felt the urge to _cry_.

"I-Itachi…" the sound was barely hearable, yet still it bounced of the walls, into Itachi, corrupting his insides with clenching ache. He opened his eyes, and gazed into tired, relieved precious stones.

A small smile came to her lips, but tears formed in her orbs. Her hand came up, and stroke his cheek tenderly. He grabbed her small hand with his own, preventing it from leaving his skin. "Itachi…don't cry…" she mumbled, giving him a pained look, trying to comprehend why exactly he was crying. He was here now, wasn't he?

The droplets of water fell onto her face, making her own fall. Only now she realized just how much he was shaking, he could barely hold her hand properly in the state he was in. She swallowed hard, her dry throat aching in the process. She struggled to get closer to him, tiredly nuzzling her nose against his chest.

"I'm sorry, Itachi…" she said, ignoring her tears.

Itachi looked at her, pity shining in his eyes. If it was for himself or her, not even he knew. "You have nothing to be sorry about, Sakura…" his hoarse voice felt good in her ears, and she sobbed.

"If I'd done as you told me, this would never have happened… Itachi, I'm sorry," she repeated sadly, green eyes misting.

He only shook his head, afraid to speak any more. He was sure that his voice would be unsteady if he tried to utter a word. He hugged her tightly, cradling her body against his own, crying into her hair.

For the first time in his life, Itachi felt how much it actually _hurt_ to cry.

-

Tsunade watched with a heavy heart as Mikaru cried loudly into the chest of her husband when she told her the dreadful news. Her chest was compressed into a small bomb of anger, ready to explode for the gentlest touch. She felt the need to cry herself, but she could not show such weakness, not here, not as the Hokage. And ironically, people wondered why she drank such amounts of sake.

-

Naruto sat out in the waiting room, the unusually quiet waiting room. The waiting room he had to sit in, waiting for his fake sister to wake up. The waiting room he had to sit in with four of the most emotionless men in Konoha. The room they should all be sitting in worriedly, looking tired and miserable. But no, no, no, no. Those bastards just have to look like heartless shinobi. Really, who was the knucklehead ninja?

-

Something tickled her nose, and she sniffed irritably. She forced her heavy eyelids open, Not really wanting to, but she definitely couldn't get to sleep with the constant strokes to her sensitive skin. Her dark field of vision didn't want to let the light in, and she got teary eyes as she fought the sunlight shining on her eyes. She tried to bring her hand to her face, but found it sealed against her front by a warm and moving mass.

Immediately, she snapped her lids open, ignoring the pain, and started to push on the body in front of her, wanting to get away, not wanting to be hurt. But her frantic fighting was resisted, and she was only pressed tighter to the chest she was facing. She let out a yelp and finally took her time to look at the face of her captor, noticing that was no captor, but a bleak, blindfolded and exhausted Itachi, lying next to her, with his arms around her.

She stared wide eyed at him, her brain slowly processing the new information she had gotten out of that brief look she did. Itachi, who looked utterly weak compared to his usual self, was seeming to looking at her, something like a mix of relief, fear and shame on his beautiful cheeks and temple. The lines on his face had become deeper, and longer, and she wondered exactly how long she had been asleep.

Next, the images of her night and day in that cave played before her inner eye. The words, the touches, the actions…all of it hit her at once.

Instinctively she tried to inch away from him, but he refused to let go, only wrapping her tighter within his embrace. He buried his face in the crook of her neck, breathing her scent and nuzzling the skin. And even if her body was tense, and she had to force herself to not scream, she couldn't push him away. She couldn't push him away, because still, it felt good when he held her. The fact that he was still desperate for her presence made her heart beat fast and her mind to relax slightly.

"Sakura…" he whispered, relief and newly gained calm oozing from his sigh. He carefully moved his body closer to hers, uncertainly looking for her acceptance. With his hands above her waist she felt no need to stop him, as he kept his manly areas away from her.

He mumbled her name all over again, repeating it softly to himself. Sakura raised her hand, and gently stroke his cheek, making him lean his head back, to direct his covered eyes towards her.

"Itachi, why are you blindfolded?" she asked softly.

"I overused my sharingan in the fight against Orochimaru," that explanation had to do for the moment, he didn't want her to worry about him.

"When can you take it off?" she brushed a few strands of hair from his forehead.

"When Tsunade-sama says so," he said.

"Keep your eyes closed," she whispered and gently put her fingers beneath the cloth, and removed it. She held it in her hand and smelled it. The faint ironic smell was mixed with that of his skin, and it felt both calming and unnerving. She leaned her face against his, and gently put her lips to his eyelids. He sighed in wellbeing, searching her face with his hand, pulling her down.

He affectionately rubbed his nose against hers, smiling tenderly.

Uchiha Itachi knew that his life was both cursed and blessed the day she was born, and he thanked the gods for letting her return to him.

_And he would never let her go again._

---

_Owari_

_---_

Word count: 4724

I have finished… I am done with a whole story… I never knew this was possible!! I truly am amazed by myself. But of course, it was not me alone, all of you who have read, faved and commented has given me the strength to make it J

Now; I couldn't write about Sakura's rape, it was to god damned horrible!! This chapter actually HURT to write! I felt my heart clench whenever someone cried or when I explained the emotions, urgh, I'm not made to be sad!

Still, what do you think of my illustration of the feelings Itachi had? It's really hard to write his train of thoughts, since he barely reacts to anything, and he's a man, I'm not. I do not understand how men like him think!

Anyway, I really am happy that so many liked this, and sometime, in the future, I might make a one or two-shot sequel ;)

Love you all and I thank you from the bottom of my heart for reading.


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